


The Demons Made Me a Better Human

by eternal_song



Category: Dororo (2007), Dororo (Anime 2019), Dororo (Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Trans Character, Canon-Typical Violence, Demons, Families of Choice, Family Reunions, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Hyakkimaru has 48 demonic aunts and uncles and they're all doing their best, Shenanigans, Trans Male Character, Unconventional Families
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2019-11-18 06:22:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 89,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18115079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eternal_song/pseuds/eternal_song
Summary: The forty-eight demons of the hall of hell didn't expect the child to survive after they took their price, but he did, and fate brought him straight back into their claws. Obviously the logical conclusion was to raise him together.They... might need a little help with that.





	1. Adopting a New Strategy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a crackfic. It didn't stay that way for long. It borrows heavily from both the manga and the anime, with some ideas also pulled from the film. There is no rhyme or reason to this other than what bits of canon I happen to like more.
> 
> This fic was a group effort from all of my friends on the Dororo Discord server. I'm just the only one dumb enough to write it.  
> Extra thanks to Verse for the initial concept, Psycada and Fetuscakes for beta reading, and everyone else for enabling me.
> 
> In the end notes there is a list of the demons who appear in this chapter for anyone who may be confused. I had to give some of them actual names, after all.

“What do you think he’ll do with it once we’ve all taken our price?”

“He’s a human. He’ll probably try to keep it alive anyway. You know how they are.”

“Pathetic, you mean? It’ll die in minutes.”

Murmurs of agreement echoed through the Hall of Hell as the denizens considered their latest deal. Many had entered in the past, and had offered them many interesting things as part of a bargain. This was the first time someone had willingly given them human flesh, however. And if the flesh didn’t precisely belong to the one giving it, who wanted to quibble over semantics like that?

“He must have been desperate, to offer something humans find so precious.”

“Or maybe he knows there’s always more of them. You’ve seen how humans are. They have so many children, they can’t feed them all, so they abandon the lot.”

“You can’t possibly be complaining about such an easy food source.”

“It doesn’t matter what it’s worth to him. You know what it’s worth to us. Giving one mortal the power to create more bloodshed is a trifle, and works in our favor anyway. I’d say we got the better end of the bargain.”

A rumble from the back of the hall silenced the rest of the demons.

“It’s time to take our price.” The largest statue’s eyes flashed. Excited laughter rose from the rest until the hall echoed with it. Forty-eight intangible hands reached out and plucked a piece of flesh from the body of a child, moments before it entered the world.

They heard the father’s laughter echo theirs.

 

* * *

 

Minogame paddled through the river, enjoying the sensations that came with having a corporeal body. The sunlight on his back, the water through his webbed feet. He stretched his neck further from his shell and sniffed the air.

Hmm, he smelled meat nearby.

He sped up, claws slicing neatly through the water. Ahead he spotted a cypress tub bobbing along on the water’s slow current. It was an odd sight, but perhaps some careless peasant had left their meal too close to the water’s edge. Minogame drew abreast with the tub and guided it to shore, pushing it onto dry land with the side of his domed shell. With some difficulty, he reared up, placing his foreclaws on the rim and craning his long neck as far as it could go to peer inside. His jaw dropped.

“Hey, guys!” He called out to his compatriots. He wasn’t sure where they’d scattered to after leaving the Hall of Hell, but they would hear him regardless. “You’ll never guess what I found in the river.”

“It had better not be another cucumber, you glorified kappa.”

Minogame turned to glare at the figure who had appeared behind him.

“There’s no need to be rude, Bandai. You wouldn’t have come if you weren’t interested.”

The she-devil rolled her eyes, but didn’t argue. She bent over to inspect the tub’s contents. A cruel amusement settled onto her face as she reached in and moved the blanket aside to reveal a tiny, squirming lump of flesh.

“Well, how odd indeed. Who could have predicted it would survive?”

“Good thing, too.” Minogame studied the child. “Fresh meat is always better, and there’s enough here for a snack.”

“That seems like an awful waste,” a third voice cut in. Both looked up at the fox now sitting before them, all nine tails swishing in vulpine interest as she stared at the tub. Bandai swished her own tail in clear agitation.

“What would be a waste is letting it die without tasting it.” Minogame craned his neck forward further. Was it his imagination, or did the baby recoil? He didn’t have time to ponder before Bandai’s hand shoved his head back into his shell, knocking him backwards.

“Not fair!” he cried, rocking as he tried to get his feet back under him.

“Tamamo no Mae has a point. That this child survived at all is incredible enough. To find it like this…” Bandai straightened and tapped her chin. “It feels like the workings of fate to me.”

“We took its body _._ ” The fox’s voice was cool, calculating. “It is drawn to us, and we to it.”

Flames in vague form of a horse stepped around Tamamo no Mae’s many tails and sniffed at the infant, which definitely tried to squirm away, its remaining facial features pinched up in fear.

“If allowed to grow up, it could prove to be trouble,” The horse said. Bandai finally took pity on Minogame and kicked him hard enough to flip him back over. He huffed in indignation.

“How’s it gonna do that? It doesn’t have any limbs to come after us with, or eyes to see us, or anything.” He crouched next to the tub, pulling his limbs back into his shell until only his claws brushed the dirt. “It’s probably gonna die anyway.”

The horse shook their fiery head.

“Surely you can feel how strong its will is.” They studied the infant. “Its will to survive has carried it this far. I have no doubt fate will find a way to bring it back to us someday. Unless we find an alternative, we may very well end up losing our newfound prizes to their original owner.”

Minogame shook his head, feeling like he was missing something.

“But if we eat it, that’ll solve the problem.”

“What Sagari means to say is that fate is rarely so straightforward,” Tamamo no Mae’s wicked smirk exposed her fangs. “Would you like to take a chance with reincarnation?”

Everyone shuddered. The only thing more annoying than a human with a vendetta was a human who reincarnated solely to continue one.

“So we can’t kill it. But if we let it grow up, it may come after us, and I don’t want to take that chance.” Bandai extended a hand as if demanding an answer be placed into it. “So what do you propose?”

Tamamo no Mae’s canine grin grew wider.

“Think about it,” she said. “What is the only emotion humans are even more annoyingly stubborn about than hatred?”

Sagari tilted their head at the fox.

“You suggest we somehow make this child… love us?” Their tone implied exactly how implausible they found this idea. “How could we ever achieve such a thing?”

Mae hummed, though it sounded more like a growl.

“Good children love and fear their parents. This child has none anymore.”

“You want us to raise this child as our own?” Bandai’s face asked a different question, more along the lines of _has your foxfire lit any suspicious weeds on fire lately?_

Minogame hadn’t thought foxes could roll their eyes.

“There are forty-eight of us. Maimai-onba already has children. We have observed and meddled with humans for centuries.” She sniffed. “Figure it out.”

 

* * *

 

“Absolutely not.”

Maimai-onba studied the group before her and shook her head to emphasize her words. The creature in Bandai’s arms squirmed, mouth gaping in an imitation of a healthy infant’s cries. She winced.

“How is it still crying? I’m certain one of us took its voice.” she handed her own infant over to her eldest daughter and clapped her hands over her ears. This did nothing to muffle the psychic cry in her head.

“It has a strong heart, and it would seem it can speak to us through sheer force of will.” Tamamo no Mae’s ears lay flat against her scalp. “It is that same strong will which allowed this child to survive.”

“Spite, you mean,” Minogame grumbled.

“What other reason is there to do anything?” Sagari snorted. “The child is practically one of us already.”

Maimai-onba lowered her arms and crossed them in front of her chest.

“Even if I did agree to this hare-brained scheme of yours— which I don’t, by the way— none of you are equipped to care for a human baby.”

Bandai tried holding the baby out to her again.

“That’s why we’re asking you. You’ve got a ton of kids. What do they eat?”

“How much blood do they need to consume?” Sagari asked.

“Or rice?” Minogame craned his neck to study the squirming lump of flesh.

“ _My children_ eat what you’re holding right now. Human kids? I have no idea.”

“I have seen human mothers suckling their young the same way we foxes do.” Tamamo no Mae gave Maimai-onba an appraising head tilt. “Perhaps if you—”

“ _No._ ” Maimai-onba slashed a hand through the air to cut off that line of thought. “I may have taken a human disguise, but I am not actually equipped to do that. My babies eat flesh and mulberry leaves from the moment they are born. You and Bandai would have more luck suckling that thing.”

The fox and Bandai both made a face at the suggestion.

“I suppose I am possessing the body of a human girl…” Bandai hedged, holding the infant away from her chest and staring at it as though it might attack her nipples through her robes. Tamamo no Mae barked in displeasure.

“I have suckled cubs before.” She frowned, considering. “But I don’t know what the magic in my milk would do to a human. For all I know, my inner fire would char it to ash from within.”

“Well, then find a human who knows what to do. If it survives, bring it back some time. Maybe my children can play with it.”

Maimai-onba took her infant back into her arms and walked away, leaving the group and their charge at the edge of her bamboo grove, looking lost. Growing weary of the indecisive silence, Tamamo no Mai flopped over on her side and raised a foreleg, giving Bandai an expectant look.

“We may as well try. Hurry up.”

Bandai gave her an apprehensive frown, but set the infant down in front of the fox. It immediately latched onto one of her teats and suckled hungrily. Tamamo no Mae gave it an appraising head tilt.

“Did one of us take its teeth?” She sniffed the baby’s head, licking it tentatively. “It doesn’t have any.”

“Human children are born without them!” Maimai-onba’s voice drifted out of the bamboo. Minogame snickered.

“Oh, she’s interested now.”

“ _Find a human, you morons!_ ”

Bandai snickered.

“It can’t hurt to get a little outside advice. There are plenty of people in my village whom we can ask.” Bandai tucked her hands into her sleeves. “I can talk to one of the women.”

“How will you do that without blowing your cover?” Sagari eyed her. “We need a human who is more… removed from society.”

“There are plenty of people who live on the river, spaced out from one another.” Minogame wandered over to the infant and watched it suckle with detached interest. “Let’s look there.”

“Yes. If one isolated human goes missing, should we need to make that happen, there will be little suspicion.” Tamamo no Mae licked the baby’s head again, settling into a rhythm of long, grooming strokes. Sagari nosed at it as well before straightening its neck and snorting.

“I shall go scout.”

They faded from vision as a dying fire does, from flame, to embers, to nothing. The others stared at the place they had stood and back at the child.

“This had better be worth all this trouble.” Minogame poked the infant with a foreclaw. “We wouldn’t be in this situation if you had let me eat it.”

The fox kicked the turtle demon with one powerful hind leg, sending him sprawling onto his back as he screamed in indignation. Maimai-onba’s cackles filtering through the grove only added insult to injury.

 

* * *

 

Jukai stared at the horse— he was pretty sure it was a horse— in front of him. His head still hurt from the tumble he’d taken down the riverbank earlier, but he hadn’t thought he’d hit it hard enough to cause hallucinations.

“I believe I may have a concussion.” He rubbed his eyes, but the flaming horse still stood there when he lowered his hands.

Was it his imagination, or did the horse snort a laugh?

The creature bowed its head fractionally.

“You do, but I am not some vision created in your mind. I am Sagari, and I believe you have knowledge which my compatriots and I require.”

…The demon horse could speak. Sure. Why not. Jukai bowed his head back. There was no need to forget his manners, and perhaps the creature would let him live a little longer if he acted polite.

“Jukai. I am only a country doctor for humans, though. I am not sure what help I can be to you.”

“Perhaps now, that is what you are. But I smell the blood and regret on you. You have much you wish to atone for, do you not?”

The horse— Sagari— seemed to stare into Jukai’s heart with their blazing eyes. He fought to keep his back straight and voice level, cursing himself for going in this direction to gather herbs.

“If you know that, then you must know I will not help you to harm more humans.” He wondered what would become of his workshop after this demon killed him for his defiance.

To his surprised, Sagari’s appraising expression morphed into one of satisfaction— and the fact he could read the emotions of a flaming demon horse only made Jukai more suspicious that perhaps he had gone around the bend at last.

“More to the point, however; a human doctor’s knowledge is exactly what I need. Why else would I have come to you?” Sagari tilted his head as if listening to something Jukai couldn’t hear. “Your knowledge would not be used to harm humans. We demons have other goals than simple destruction, though I cannot blame you for not realizing this.”

Jukai considered this. He wasn’t sure he could trust the word of a demon. He had always heard that the only time a demon tells the truth is when it will hurt you more than a lie. But demons were bound by the words of any deal they struck.

“What exactly are you proposing?” He asked the horse. “You want my expertise? And in exchange, I get— what? The simple promise no one will use it for evil?”

The horse bared their teeth in a mockery of a human smile.

“That,” they said, “and the chance to atone.”

Jukai stared at the horse. How could they possibly know what he longed for most? They gazed back at him, waiting for an answer.

“What… kind of knowledge do you require, exactly?”

That seemed to be enough of an answer for Sagari, because they turned their head behind them and bellowed out one sharp whinny. Three more demons emerged from the trees, though Jukai could swear they hadn’t been there a moment ago.

“You don’t have to shout,” the woman-shaped demon scolded the horse. Jukai might have mistaken her for a beautiful noblewoman if not for the fat, warty tail peeking out from under her furisode. That, and the horns sprouting from her forehead under a mane of white hair. She carried a bundle of fabric in her arms which the kitsune and the hairy turtle who accompanied her kept gazing up at, as if to make sure it was still there.

“So this is who you have chosen?” The fox gave Jukai the same assessing look that Sagari had. “I suppose he’ll do.”

“I still don’t know what you need from me.” Jukai fought to keep his voice low. It seemed a safer option than screaming.

“We have recently come into possession of a human infant.” The woman indicated her bundle with a jerk of her head. Jukai had to hold his body stiff to keep from recoiling in shock. “We do not know how to care for it, but you do.”

Jukai stepped towards her on shaking legs, eyes fixed on the bundle.

“May I see?”

She thrust the bundle at him, and he was tempted to think she was relieved to pass it off. He pulled the swaddling clothes away from the infant. Nothing could have prepared him for what he uncovered.

“Oh, Kami-sama, how is he still alive?”

“Spite,” The turtle demon said.

“A strong heart,” Sagari corrected.

“He?” the woman asked, leaning over to inspect the naked infant. “How does one tell?”

“Well, you—” Jukai cut himself off and pulled the fabric back around the infant. “Let’s go back to my place. We can talk there.”

“Do you agree to our terms?” The fox’s golden eyes stared him down. Somehow, with the baby in his arms, he no longer felt scared of these demons.

“I am going to help this child.” He met her gaze steadily. “So, yes. I do.”

The fox gave him a grin full of sharp teeth and smug triumph.

“Lead the way.”

 

* * *

 

After a round of introductions, Lady Bandai had taken him up on his offer of tea, but the others had not. Minogame and Tamamo no Mae— and was she truly _the_ Tamamo no Mae or legend? — seemed to enjoy the kayu rice porridge he had offered. Sagari browsed on the grass near the porch where they all sat, as it would have been rude to meet inside where the horse couldn’t fit. Jukai held the baby, now asleep, on his lap.

“So, you see, infant care is straightforward, but it is also fairly involved.” Jukai concluded his briefing on the bare bones of infant care. He didn’t think he had given them enough to care for the baby without his continued help, but at least now they knew how not to kill him.

“I can’t believe human infants are so utterly helpless.” Tamamo no Mae flicked a tail. “How you as a species have survived is a mystery.”

“How did you come to have him in your care, anyway?” Jukai had more questions about the child, from the state of his health to how old he was, but those could wait until the most pertinent questions were out of the way.

“His father sold him to us, the forty-eight demons of the Hall of Hell.”

Jukai stared at Bandai, trying to figure out if she was serious. Her face told him she absolutely was.

“Sold him— what for? And why is he in this state?”

Bandai took another sip of her tea and blew the steam out towards the clouds overhead.

“He wanted power. The power to conquer and crush his enemies. To make his land and people prosper.” She eyed Jukai’s ashen face. “He is a minor lord, desperate for more. He offered this child to us without hesitation and demanded we split his body between us.”

“His own child…” Jukai stared down at the peaceful infant on his lap.

“Does it surprise you that a samurai lord would do such a thing?” Sagari’s voice held no pity. “You, who have seen the horrors they willingly put those below them through?”

Jukai shook his head sadly.  It didn’t surprise him at all. He pulled the infant in close to his chest and felt his tiny, even breaths. They reassured him in a way he hadn’t expected.

“So after you took his body, you decided to raise what was left?” Such a task seemed foolhardy. “Would it not be kinder to kill him?”

Even now, in his new life, Jukai was no stranger to mercy killings. Sometimes patients were too far gone to save, and prolonging their suffering was the crueler course of action.

“We did not take the infant from his parents.” Tamamo no Mae primly folded her paws in front of her. “He found his way back to us.”

Jukai blinked at her.

“I found him floating in a tub on the river this morning.” Minogame stretched out on the warm wood of the porch, bathing in the waning sunlight. “The father’s final sin against his son was to send him off to die in the elements immediately after his birth, rather than having the courage to kill him by his own hand.”

“But he survived, and fate brought him back to us. If not now, it would have happened in the future.” Sagari stepped closer. “Better to keep him in our sight than to leave to chance what he will become by the time we meet again.”

Jukai wasn’t sure he liked what that implied about their motivations for helping the child, but none of that was important. The important thing was that the child had lived, and he now had the chance to make something right.

“If you wish for him to stay safe and alive, perhaps it would be best if this was his home. That way he could have stability, and you would always know where to find him.” Jukai hoped the demons wouldn’t take his proposal the wrong way, but now that he held the child he didn’t think he could let them take him away again. The four demons exchanged glances.

“That is acceptable.” The fox stood and stepped forward, craning her neck to groom the child’s hairless, _skinless_ scalp. “But I will stay and assist. The child needs milk, does he not?”

Jukai nearly balked at the idea of a kitsune living in his home, sharing in parental duties. It was too odd an image to comprehend.

“My patients might… object to a powerful demon living in my clinic,” he warned her.

“Will they?”

Between one blink and the next, a beautiful young woman took the fox’s place in front of him. She sat in proper seiza, with only a hint of a furry tail peeking from under the hem of her silver kimono.

“I… suppose they won’t. But they may wonder what a noblewoman would want with a country doctor.”

Her smile still contained an unnerving amount of teeth.

Jukai tilted his head down towards the baby to avoid her predatory stare.

“What’s his name?” he asked, both to change the subject and because he did need a name to call the child. When only silence greeted him, he looked up to find that the four demons around him all seemed to have expressions ranging from confused to sheepish.

“Why would we know his name?” Minogame tilted his head. “It’s not like he’s told us.”

“Humans give _each other_ their names, kappa.” Bandai tossed back the rest of her tea like it was sake and ignored the turtle’s offended spluttering. “If his family gave him one, which I doubt, we didn’t have the chance to learn it.”

“I’m sure we can figure out an appropriate name somehow.” Jukai tried to take a diplomatic approach. “I’ll also need to make him prosthetic limbs, and a substitute for skin… and eyes…” he trailed off, thinking about how he should approach the process of building the child a body he could use to interact with the world.

“That shouldn’t be too difficult,” Sagari said. Jukai quirked a brow at them, wondering what their definition of difficult entailed. The horse snorted. “Between the forty-eight of us, I’m sure we can make acceptable substitutes. Especially with the power his body parts grant us.”

“You simply need to show us where the pieces go.” Bandai’s smile was smug. “You didn’t think we would leave him like that, did you?”

Jukai hadn’t known what to think, because he didn’t know how much these demons knew about human biology, or how necessary things like skin and limbs are to a body. Instead of voicing this, he gave her a wan smile.

“We can get started on that tomorrow. For now, it is nearly time for supper. I don’t suppose any of you care for more human food?”

“I do!” Minogame shouted. Bandai and Tamamo no Mae rolled their eyes.

“How are you with cooking rabbit?” The fox stood and brushed the knees of her kimono with her hands. “I like mine … rare.”

Jukai tilted his head.

“I’m afraid I don’t have any. Meat is expensive, and I don’t indulge often.”

“Leave that to me. I merely ask if you can cook it.” She smiled. Jukai nodded.

She left in a blur of pearl white fur and flashing teeth, bounding into the woods.

Jukai stood and handed the baby to Lady Bandai. He may as well start the rice while they waited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minogame: let's eat this kid  
> Tamamo no Mae: Seems a downright shame. Seems an awful waste.  
> Bandai: I mean, with the price of meat what it is, when you get it, if you get it  
> Minogame: ah!  
> Tamamo no Mae: good, you got it
> 
> Demons appearing in this chapter:  
> -[Minogame](http://the-turtle-cove.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-minogame-in-japanese-culture.html), the turtle from the manga chapter "Donburi Belly"  
> -Lady Bandai  
> -[Tamamo no Mae](https://intojapanwaraku.com/en/20171013/24239/p3), the head kitsune from "Banmon"  
> -[Sagari](http://yokai.com/sagari/), the horse spirit from "Midoro"  
> -Maimai-onba
> 
> Kudos and (polite) feedback are always appreciated!


	2. Some Assembly Required

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Local man beset by demons, ignores them in favor of parenting duties.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW for a little bit of mild body horror while the demons are attaching various body parts to their kid
> 
> A lot of new demons from folklore and the various Dororo canons show up or cameo here, so please look in the end notes for a complete list with links to my research.
> 
> I've written a few chapters already and I regret to inform you that I'm not very good at keeping them at a consistent length. None of them will be obscenely short or long, however.

Jukai had heard stories about how difficult raising an infant could be. He wondered how those stories compared to the difficulties of raising a limbless, psychic infant as a few dozen demons popped in and out of his house.

At least finding a name for the baby had ended up being easier than he’d expected. The night the demons brought him the child, his eyes had drifted to his sword rack as he tried to fall asleep. He always avoided looking at the old weapon, and he’d tried several times to find the courage to get rid of it. This time, he gazed at the sword and remembered the inscription on the blade, forged by a man seeking vengeance for his family’s murder. He’d brought it up the next morning.

“How about Hyakkimaru?” He asked, studiously not watching as Tamamo no Mae tore into a grouse she’d caught.

“One hundred demons?” Bandai raided a delicate eyebrow. “You know there are only four dozen of us.”

“Yes, but Hyakkimaru has a better ring to it than Yonjūhakkimaru.”

Bandai tilted her head to concede the point, and that had been the end of it.

The real difficulty lay with the demons showing up at his house at all hours of the day. Some were curious about their new charge— it seemed the four who brought Hyakkimaru to Jukai had not, in fact, consulted with everyone before making their decision— and some offered replacement parts for what Hyakkimaru still lacked. _Creative_ replacement parts.

“I’m sorry, that skin is made of what?” Jukai stared at the elegant woman who stood before him. A detached part of his brain watched the feathery antennae on her forehead twitch in irritation.

“My children shed their skins as they grow,” she repeated. “I have gathered up the freshest of these scraps. I will stitch them together and give them to the child so it can become his skin. Or have you changed your mind about him needing it?”

Jukai shook his head quickly, looking down at the pile of what he had assumed to be leather in her arms.

“No, no, he does. Only, I wasn’t expecting something so… personal.”

The moth woman rolled her eyes and brushed past him to set her armful of shed skins onto Jukai’s work table.

“I have his right leg. It seems fitting he receive some of my own flesh in return, however indirectly.” She sorted through the scraps, laying them out into a pattern Jukai couldn’t discern. “Besides, I’m the one who told those numbskulls to find a human for advice in the first place. I have no desire to owe you a favor in return for setting them on you.”

Jukai wondered if that was a demon’s idea of an apology.

The moth woman held her hands over the array of skin she had laid out, mumbling a few words in a language he couldn’t recognize. The skin knitted together, gaps disappearing as each scrap fused with its neighbors until one single unblemished sheet of soft, pale skin lay across the work table.

“Bring me the child,” she commanded. Jukai jabbed a thumb towards the door to his living quarters.

“Last I knew, Tamamo no Mae had him for nursing. They should be back shortly.”

The woman let out an annoyed huff, threw back her head, and screeched.

“ _Tamamo no Mae! Get over here, and bring that pitiful creature with you!_ ”

Jukai might have protested her calling their kid a creature, but the fox entered the room as soon as the screech died down. She currently held her human form with Hyakkimaru in her arms as he suckled hungrily.

“Maimai-onba, what a pleasant surprise.” Her voice was cool but amused. “I thought you wanted nothing to do with our ‘hare-brained scheme,’ as you called it.”

“I don’t.” The moth woman scowled at her. “I tire of the constant gossip about it. If I do this small part, you lot will have no need to bother me about it any longer.”

Tamamo no Mae grinned as if she had won some victory. Maimai-onba gritted her teeth and held out her hands expectantly.

“Hand him over. The sooner I finish this, the sooner I can go home to my own children.”

Despite her words, the way she held Hyakkimaru showed the care and caution of an experienced mother. She picked up the skin and efficiently swaddled the child, head and all. Jukai felt his confusion and fear and had to make a conscious effort not to snatch Hyakkimaru back. Maimai-onba placed him back on the table. Holding her hands out in the same position as before, she spoke another incantation. The skin tightened around Hyakkimaru, shrinking and molding to follow the contours of his tiny face and body. When the woman lowered her hands, Hyakkimaru looked as though he’d been born with that skin, it fit him so well.

Maimai-onba picked him up and inspected him, turning him around gently. There was a single seam of pale scar tissue down the back of his scalp and along his spine where the skin had joined. She ran a gentle hand down it, and Jukai felt Hyakkimaru calm.

“It will grow with him. You humans don’t shed your skin, do you?” She handed Jukai the baby, and he smiled as he ran his hand down Hyakkimaru’s warm, smooth back. He took the blanket Tamamo no Mae held out and quickly swaddled him again.

“No, we don’t. But thanks for checking.” He bowed low in gratitude. “And thank you for doing this for our child.”

Maimai-onba sniffed as he straightened.

“He is not my child. He cannot spin silk, and will never grow wings or antennae.” She frowned at him, but Jukai thought he could see softness in her eye as she looked at the baby. “Now, I must get back to _my real children_.”

“Bye-bye, silkworm!” Tamamo no Mae waved as the moth demon left. Once she had flown off, the fox gave Jukai a toothy smirk. “Maimai-onba isn’t used to thinking of human children as anything other than food. I can’t wait to see how you handle the others.”

Jukai gulped, aware of the threat in her words.

Minogame ambled in, holding a bowl of rice tightly with the hair growing from between the scutes on his shell. He glanced up at the baby in Jukai’s arms.

“Well, would you look at that. Maimai-onba actually came through.” He used a lock of hair to scoop some rice from the bowl and bring it into his mouth. The sounds of chewing muffled his next words. “I guess that means it’s my turn.”

“Your turn?” Jukai tried not to watch as the turtle ate.

“Yep. Gotta have skin before you can have hair growing out of it.”

Jukai raised an eyebrow, but Minogame appeared perfectly serious. Of course, it was hard to tell on a turtle’s face. The doctor closed his eyes and tried to calm his nerves.

“At least wash the rice out of it before you do anything.”

 

* * *

 

The weeks passed quickly. Jukai adjusted to his new role as a father and found that, despite everything, he was well suited to caring for a child. He was even getting used to having demons popping in and out of his home at all hours and without warning, but he was sure his nerves would never be the same again. Walking into his living area after treating a patient to find someone who looked like a cross between a monk and a rat sitting at the fire, helping himself to Jukai’s tea, was enough to put humans more fearless than Jukai ill at ease.

On the other hand, having Hyakkimaru around was an unexpected blessing. He was a sweet child and had learned that Jukai’s hands around his torso and behind his head meant good things, so he eagerly burrowed into the man at every opportunity. The baby had also figured out how to scoot along the floor in a caterpillar-like fashion. He wiggled around with such efficiency that they had difficulty keeping track of him at times. Sagari informed Jukai that they and the rest of the demons had taken to mercilessly teasing Maimai-onba about turning a human child into one of her own caterpillar children, to which she tended to react with a swift blow to the offender’s face. Jukai assumed they meant this in good humor and resolved not to tease any demon about anything, ever.

Hyakkimaru’s psychic abilities were still weak, but the demons assured Jukai he had a lot of latent power and merely needed practice to grow them. This practice so far manifested as loud, wordless demands of his desire to be held, fed, or changed, usually directed into Jukai’s head. Tamamo no Mae smirked at him when he brought this up to her and Lady Bandai, wondering why Hyakkimaru didn’t beg from the ones who actually fed him.

“He knows none of the rest of us are human pushovers like you.” She paused in grooming her tails to give him a toothy vulpine grin.

“Um. Thank you?”

“It's not fair,” Minogame complained as he plowed through a pile of duckweed. “I found the kid first. Shouldn't I be his favorite?”

“Kappa, you wanted to eat him.” Bandai gave the turtle an unimpressed look. Minogame glared at her and took a snap at her tail.

“You know, someday I'll be big enough to eat you, and you'll have just enough time to regret calling me a kappa.” He used a foreclaw to wipe leaves off his beak. “And anyway, he should be grateful I found him and I didn't eat him. I should be his favorite.”

Several other demons had come by to deliver replacement body parts for Hyakkimaru, though most were minor and, quite possibly, useless. An amanojaku came by and poked a bony finger into the boy's stomach, granting him a belly button. Jukai had barely managed to hold in his laughter until it left. A week later, a two-tailed cat force-fed him a devil’s tongue flower. Hyakkimaru didn't seem impressed with all of the demons poking and prodding at him, but he took it remarkably well, and he always burrowed happily back into Jukai's arms when they finished with him.

One day, nearly two months after the demons brought him Hyakkimaru, another demon interrupted Jukai as he chopped firewood. Loud wingbeats caught his attention and he looked up in time for a large figure to soar overhead and land a few feet away. The enormous pair of black wings folded with a rustle of feathers. When the figure turned, Jukai took in the red face with the long, beak-like nose and the hermit’s robes his visitor wore. His breath caught. He was _not_ prepared to deal with a tengu, of all things.

“Greetings. Is this the home of Hyakkimaru?” The tengu’s voice was deep and emotionless. Jukai gaped a little before he regained his wits enough to answer.

“I’m Hyakkimaru’s adoptive father.”

“Good, good.” The tengu stuck his hands in his sleeves and gave a short bow. “I have come with a delivery for our young ward.”

Jukai bowed back and led the tengu inside, wincing when the enormous wings knocked against the doorframe. Hyakkimaru napped in his cradle, oblivious to their visitor. The tengu stared at him contemplatively before he pulled a small object from his sleeve.

“This gift comes from Jiromaru, lord of the Bone Cape.” He placed a white shark tooth into Jukai’s palm. “Grind it to dust, brew the dust into tea, and have the boy drink it. It will grant him the same sense of touch as the shark who gave the tooth.”

Jukai studied the tooth. It had serrated edges and came to a wicked point. He could easily imagine a full set of them tearing through flesh. Ironic, that something which could cause such pain would grant his son the ability to feel it.

“Thank you. I will use it as soon as he wakes.”

“I have another gift,” The tengu said. “Please place him on the table so I can work.”

Jukai was a little nervous about letting the demon touch Hyakkimaru when none of the others were around, but they had all gone off on their own business and he couldn’t exactly refuse. He carefully lifted the sleeping child and placed him on the work table, moving aside chisels and wood shavings to make room.

The tengu stood over the child and took hold of one of Jukai’s largest, _sharpest_ chisels.

“Ah!” Jukai reached out to snatch the tool away before the demon could bring it near the infant on the table, but he wasn’t quick enough. The chisel flashed as it moved, sending a small chunk of flesh to fall and bounce on the tabletop next to Hyakkimaru. Jukai froze. He stared in horror, eyes darting between the small object and the baby. After a moment of still silence, he raised his eyes back up to the tengu’s face.

Hyakkimaru was unharmed.

The tip of the tengu’s nose, however, was now about a thumb’s width shorter and bleeding profusely.

“Shit!” Jukai yelped, snatching the chisel back and racing to grab clean bandages. “Are you all right? Why would you do that?”

He pressed a clean cloth against the bleeding area and wound a bandage tightly around the rest of the beaklike nose to hold it in place. The tengu gave him a sardonic expression as he pulled away.

“…There was no need to waste your bandages, Doctor. It will heal shortly.”

“As you said, I’m a doctor. It’s an ingrained instinct at this point.” Jukai frowned heavily at him. He reached out to pick up the nose tip from the table. “What was the point of doing this?”

“The child will need a nose of his own, will he not?” The tengu’s otherwise impassive face seemed to hide some mirth Jukai couldn’t find the source of. “It will never grow to be as long and glorious as mine, but it will at least serve its purpose.”

The demon plucked the nose from Jukai’s hand and delicately placed it onto Hyakkimaru’s face, right over the hole where his own nose should have been. As they watched, it fused with his face, shifting hue and shape until it became a little human nose with the same tone as the skin Maimai-onba had wrapped him in.

It was a cute nose.

“That’s— that’s incredible.” Jukai met the tengu’s eyes. “Thank you.”

The tengu tilted his head in acknowledgment.

“See that he does not waste these gifts we have granted him.”

He walked back outside and took flight before Jukai could think of a good response. The doctor stared out the open door. What on earth had the demon meant by that? And where did he get off anyway, acting as though he had done Hyakkimaru a favor, considering he was one of the demons who had taken the boy’s body parts in the first place?

Jukai took a calming breath and picked up his son, who had slept through the entire incident. His new nose scrunched in irritation when the doctor tapped it with an index finger. With a smile, he placed the baby back into his cradle and went to finish chopping the firewood. The autumn daylight waned quickly, and when he re-entered the house with an armful of logs he found Lady Bandai sitting cross-legged before the fire pit, leaning over Hyakkimaru and poking his new nose.

“So, the tengu deigned to show up, did he?” She didn’t look up as she spoke.

“He came to deliver some things.”

“More than this?” Bandai gave him a glance of mild curiosity. Jukai pulled the shark tooth from his sleeve and held it up to the light. Bandai whistled.

“Good to know Sharky’s doing fine. What are you meant to do with it?”

Jukai explained the tengu’s instructions.

“A shark’s sense of touch, huh? How fascinating.” She didn’t look fascinated at all, but Jukai had learned there was almost nothing, besides intense rage, which could break her calm and noble facade. “I have some, shall we say, experience with the human nervous system, having possessed so many human bodies over the centuries. Growing a new one will not be pleasant for the little one.”

“Better than him living without one and never knowing when he is injured or how severely.” The father in Jukai balked at causing their son pain, but the doctor side won out with the crucial argument of protecting him in the future. Bandai’s smile filled with cruel humor.

“It would be a shame if he lost his body parts all over again after we’ve gone through all this _trouble_ to make him a new one.”

Jukai ignored the animal part of his brain screaming at him to flee from such a dangerous creature and went to get his mortar and pestle instead.

 

* * *

 

Jukai was sure that tree hadn’t been there before.

He rubbed his eyes, but the large, mature sakura tree didn’t disappear from its spot in the middle of what had previously been the empty grass-covered field in front of his house. Checking that Hyakkimaru was secure in the sling on his back, he stepped forward to inspect it. The past few months had forced him to get used to all manner of strange occurrences, but he saw no reason to abandon his healthy sense of caution.

The tree had a full crown of deep pink blossoms, which was especially odd given the fact it was winter.

One of the branches moved, revealing a face like a noh mask. Jukai could admit he screamed a little. The tree laughed at him.

“Is that my new nephew?” it asked. Jukai stared at it, glanced down at the baby in his arms, and back up at the tree. It reached out with a thin, bare tendril of a branch to gently poke the top of Hyakkimaru’s head and stroke through the healthy covering of peach fuzz on his scalp, courtesy of Minogame.

“Um. This is Hyakkimaru.” Jukai watched as Hyakkimaru tilted his face up at the touch. The branch traced down his cheek, and Hyakkimaru turned his head to grab it in his mouth, closing his gums down over the woody appendage. The tree recoiled with a startled yelp.

“Oh! He takes after the fox, I see.” The tree had a high voice which seemed to emanate from the canopy overhead. The eyes in the noh mask crinkled as they studied the baby. “I have heard of you as well, Doctor Jukai. It’s surprising to find a human who can tolerate so many demons.”

“I’ve seen worse.”

“So I’ve heard.” The tree swished its branches around. “I am Jubokko, one of the forty-eight demons. This is a lovely forest you live in.”

Jukai bowed in greeting, though he didn’t take his eyes off of the demon before him.

“Welcome. If I may ask, how did you get here?”

Jubokko laughed again.

“Did you know, the most beautiful sakura trees have pink blossoms because they’ve soaked up the blood of a dead human buried at their roots?” it asked instead of answering the question. Jukai nodded. He’d heard the tales. “Well, I sprouted on a battlefield. From the moment my seed took root, I was watered in blood. If you cut my bark, my sap bleeds crimson.”

Jukai eyed the swaying branches warily.

“I have powers you can’t imagine, doctor.” Jubokko reached out to Hyakkimaru again, making sure to stay away from his mouth. “Lucky for you and your little seedling, I came for a more… benevolent purpose.”

Hyakkimaru’s head swiveled to track the swaying tendril. His psychic powers grew stronger by the day, according to Tamamo no Mae. Jukai cleared his throat.

“What purpose would that be?”

He had no intention of letting a demonic tree, of all things, play some twisted prank on him or his son.

“Humans, unlike trees, cannot stay rooted, correct?” Jubokko didn’t wait for an answer before speaking again. “Tree limbs are different from human limbs, but… well. I think they may prove superior.”

“You… want to give Hyakkimaru arms and legs?” Jukai tilted his head back to stare at the enormous canopy above him. “I was planning on carving them later from some solid maple I’ve had seasoning for years…”

“Maple? You must be joking. Cherry is far superior.” The tree sounded insulted he would think of using any other wood. “Living cherry even more so. It will grow and adapt with him.”

Jukai stared at the mask-like face in shock.

“You can do that?” he tried to picture how that might work. “Attach living wood to a human?”

“Of course I can. My sap is practically human blood as it is. His body won’t notice a difference.” Jubokko gave him a smug look. “Unless you _wanted_ to have him limp around on carved sticks instead?”

Jukai wasn’t happy with the tree’s insult to his craft but thought better of saying anything about it. The offer had merit, as well. The idea of his son growing up with limbs which responded as well as normal human limbs could do was a tempting one, and he could always use the maple for another patient.

“Will it hurt him?” That was the only other catch which could make him hesitate.

“I am not sure.” Jubokko scratched its forehead with another tendril. “Does it hurt humans to have wood fused to bone and nerves?”

“That— yes. That sounds agonizing.”

“Oh, dear. Well, there’s nothing for it. You’ll have to make him sleep.” The tree tapped its chin with another tendril. “Do you have any poppy extract? I hear it does wonders for you humans.

Jukai balked a little. Hyakkimaru was so small. It would be easy to accidentally give him too much and kill him. But without it…

“Yes, I have a supply for my patients. I’ll go and grab some.” He moved to head back into the house but stopped. “Erm… did you want to… hold him?”

The tree squealed in delight and sent out several tendrils, holding them out in the vague shape of a hammock. Jukai untied the sling on his back and placed Hyakkimaru into the branches. He felt the boy’s curiosity and apprehension, but when Jubokko only brought him closer to its face and cooed, Jukai decided he was likely safe enough.

In the limbs of a tree which fed on human blood.

Jukai hurried to grab the sedative.

Tamamo no Mae sat inside the main clinic area, smoking a pipe with contents Jukai would rather not ask about. She watched him closely as he rummaged through his supplies.

“What has you all worked up?” she asked, voice husky from the smoke. Jukai gave her a rueful shake of his head as he measured a tiny amount of sedative into a small cup of hot water.

“Jubokko is here. It says it can give Hyakkimaru new limbs which will grow with him.”

The fox raised an eyebrow and tapped the contents of her pipe into an empty bowl.

“Well, that certainly is something. I suppose I could place him into an enchanted sleep, to keep him from screaming. No need to wake the neighbors.”

Jukai didn’t bother to point out that it was the middle of the day and they had no neighbors for miles. He stirred the hot water until the sedative had completely dissolved.

“Is your enchanted sleep more effective than this?” he held the solution up. She rolled her eyes.

“Of course. But the poppy milk will help with the pain when he wakes up, so give it to him afterward.”

The procedure, if one could call it that, was fascinating to watch, though there were moments when Jukai thought he might be sick. Tamamo no Mae passed her hand over Hyakkimaru’s face, and Jukai immediately felt the baby’s consciousness fade into sleep. Jubokko reached four new tendrils down from the canopy, and the end of each found their way to one of Hyakkimaru’s tiny residual limbs. They pressed in, increasing the pressure until skin gave way and the wood burrowed into flesh. The wood expanded and the skin moved as tiny vines sprouted, snaking between muscle and sinew to seek out nerve endings. Jukai could imagine the wood below grabbing onto bone and taking root in the marrow. The wood outside morphed into perfect imitations of an infant’s arms and legs, and when the final digits formed the excess tendrils snapped off with a quiet crack. The junction of skin and wood gave the impression that fingers had pulled and smoothed the skin over like wet clay, creating a gentle transition into dark brown bark.

“Beautiful,” Jukai whispered. Jubokko grinned and held Hyakkimaru out for him to take. The baby was noticeably heavier in his arms now. He curled his new limbs up to his chest as he burrowed his face into Jukai’s kimono.

“Well, that was fun. I’ve only ever used these to suck the blood out of my victims before.” the tree waved its tendrils around. “I wasn’t entirely sure it would work.”

“If it hadn’t, I would have torn your branches off one by one and burned down what was left.” Tamamo no Mae’s voice was as pleasant as her words were threatening. The tree rolled its eyes.

“Yes, yes, scary fox with scary fire.” It didn’t seem to consider her too much of a real threat. “I will come back and check on how he’s doing with those once he starts walking. When do humans do that, by the way?”

“At about a year old, give or take?” Jukai had no idea where Hyakkimaru would fall on the developmental spectrum, and it seemed unfair to judge him by the standards of other children. “But they begin to crawl some months beforehand.”

The tree waved its branches in what could have been a nod.

And it was gone, leaving only a thin carpet of dark pink petals scattered on the grass.

“I will never get used to that,” Jukai said. Tamamo no Mae patted him on the shoulder with a clawed hand.

“If you ever do, that’s the moment you’ll truly be in trouble. A healthy fear of us will keep you alive.”

Jukai was never sure if she meant the things she said as advice or threats. He chose to continue to take them as both.

 

* * *

 

“Oh, great. Birdie’s here.”

Jukai looked up from his carving at the sound of Bandai’s unhappy grumble. There in the doorway stood a young woman in tattered robes. She appeared for all the world like another beggar, hungry and ragged, but Bandai’s reaction to her made Jukai suspect otherwise. In Bandai’s arms, Hyakkimaru pulled away from where he was nursing and swiveled his face towards the newcomer. Tamamo no Mae continued grooming her tails, acting as though there were nothing interesting about this situation whatsoever. The chill night air swept through the room as the girl held the door open.

“Can I help you, miss?” Jukai set down his tools and wood. She seemed to take that as an invitation to enter, holding out cupped hands towards him.

“Spare a coin?” she croaked.

“Don’t you dare.” All eyes turned to Lady Bandai, who glared at the intruder. “This is my territory. Any coins here are already claimed.”

Jukai felt he had the right to argue that, as the only one in the house with an actual paying job— for what little he got paid— the coins he earned were his, but he wasn’t in the mood to have his throat ripped out.

“Bandai,” the tattered girl greeted her coolly. “Still having to chase off the bell-ringer?”

“What do you want, Todomeki?”

The girl’s face was barely visible through the curtain of her stringy black hair, but Jukai couldn’t have missed her challenging grin. She raised her arms high enough that her sleeves slid back, revealing her forearms.

Bird eyes, large and small, peeked out from every available bit of skin.

“I heard you need some of these. I think I could spare two, for a good cause.”

Bandai’s frown didn’t subside, but her hair stayed black and her horns didn’t come out, so Jukai leaned forward to take a closer look. They stared back at him, and every once in a while one would blink a clear eyelid.

“Hm, which would suit him best, I wonder…” Todomeki rotated her arms, studying them. “Ah, of course. Please hold him still for me.”

Jukai looked to the other demons in the room. The fox seemed to have fallen asleep, though Jukai had his doubts. Bandai was on her way to a magnificent sulk but made no move to stop Todomeki from coming closer.

Todomeki ran her fingers up her arm until she reached a bright orange eye which shone in the low firelight. With a quick pinch and a pull, she plucked the eyeball from her skin and held it aloft. She repeated the movement with her other arm. Holding one eyeball in each hand, she reached down and pressed them into Hyakkimaru’s empty eye sockets, covering them with her palms and murmuring. Jukai thought the words sounded like those Maimai-onba had used to stitch Hyakkimaru’s skin together. She pulled her hands away. Hyakkimaru blinked once, twice, and several more times. The bright orange of his new irises contrasted with the eerie green glow shining in his pupils when the firelight caught in them. Jukai shuffled closer and leaned in to inspect them.

“Owl eyes.” Todomeki sounded exceedingly proud of herself. “Excellent night and day vision. He may be a little color-blind, but I’m sure that’s hardly an issue in the grand scheme of things.”

Hyakkimaru stared up at the girl before he fixed his gaze on Jukai. The man smiled down at his son as those new eyes focused on his face. Hyakkimaru brought a tiny hand up to pat at his face a couple of times before grabbing his beard and pulling.

“Oh! Hyakkimaru, that’s not for pulling.” He reached up to disentangle the appendage and ended up with little wooden fingers wrapped around his index finger instead. Bandai shoved the baby into his arms with little force but plenty of irritation. He sat back and watched Hyakkimaru’s new eyes fill with curiosity as he swiveled his head to look around the room.

“Well, that’s all I came for. Stay sharp, Bandai.”

Jukai watched the girl stride out the door. Bandai scoffed and shoved her arms into her sleeves.

“The nerve of that little—” her words cut off as she felt for something in her sleeve. Her hair turned white and puffed out behind her as her horns extended to their full length. “That conniving bitch stole my coin purse! How? She didn’t touch me!”

And she was out the door so quickly that Jukai barely caught the blur of her movement. He sighed.

“She could have closed the door behind her…” He raised a curious eyebrow at Tamamo no Mae. “Why didn’t you notice that girl stealing from Lady Bandai?”

The fox cracked open one eye and grinned.

“What was there to notice?” She shifted her tails to reveal a distinctive coin purse beneath them. Jukai groaned and got up to close the door. It was time to sleep, and hope the demons wouldn’t bring their violence back to the house come morning.

 

* * *

 

Waking up to the panting, tooth-filled face of a demonic fox close to his own was one of the scariest experiences of Jukai’s life and, yes, that did include the time he flung himself off a cliff into the sea. He shouted and rolled away, knocking his flailing arm into her lower jaw with a resounding crack. They both yelped in pain.

“What was that for, you stupid human?” Tamamo no Mae barked, baring every single one of her teeth. Jukai clutched his hand and cracked an eye open to glare at her.

“Do you have _any idea_ how terrifying you are? You nearly gave me a heart attack, waking me up like that!”

Jukai’s praise of her ability to induce terror seemed to mollify the fox, and she dropped the snarl in favor of giving him an annoyed huff.

“Well. I had come to give you some good news, but now I’m not sure you deserve it.” She raised a paw to nibble between the digits. “Perhaps I’ll go back to sowing havoc and inciting squabbles between idiot samurai.”

Jukai stood and went to wake the fire for breakfast and tea.

“Tamamo no Mae-sama, I humbly apologize for any offense I have caused,” he said, no trace of actual penance in his voice. “I would be honored to hear your good tidings, brought from afar—”

“Oh, do shut up.”

The doctor hid a smirk in his sleeve, casting a glance at the fox over his shoulder. She gave him a flat stare and morphed into her human form. Rummaging around briefly in one of her long sleeves, she pulled out something brown and rubbery, which she held between her thumb and forefinger. Jukai squinted at it.

“A wood ear?” He took the mushroom and placing it in his palm. It was small and squishy, with delicate folds and ridges. Tamamo no Mae placed the second one in his palm.

“I’ve been searching for suitable specimens, and I finally found them.”

“What do you need them for?” As far as Jukai knew, the only uses for the mushroom were in soup and for treating a sore throat.

“Think, Doctor. What could I possibly need a pair of tiny, perfectly shaped _wood ear_ mushrooms for?” she plucked them back out of his hand as his gaze wandered to the baby sleeping a few feet away, comprehension dawning.

“That’s… incredibly creative.”

He was getting used to all of the strange and inventive ways the demons had come up with to replace Hyakkimaru’s missing parts. A week before, a strange demon shaped like a cross between a monkey and a dog came to the house and made Jukai feed Hyakkimaru a tea made of camphor leaves. After the first sip, Hyakkimaru began to wail. Out loud.

The demon only stuck around long enough to introduce himself as Yamabiko, the mountain echo. He vanished, leaving Jukai to comfort the crying infant on his own.

Since then, Hyakkimaru cried both out loud and telepathically whenever he wanted something. Jukai didn’t resent the gift. Truly, he didn’t. But he did miss not having so many headaches.

He watched in fascination as Tamamo no Mae placed the mushrooms on the sides of Hyakkimaru’s head. They stuck where she placed them when she removed her hands. She made several complicated hand gestures, and a strange puff of smoke obscured Hyakkimaru’s face. When it cleared, the mushrooms no longer looked like mushrooms. They blended seamlessly into the rest of his skin, taking on the same color and texture. The fox reached out to stroke one, and it twitched in response.

“Between my magic and nursing him all these months, he now has hearing as keen as any of my kin.” Tamamo no Mae was clearly pleased with herself. “And if I’m not mistaken, that was the last missing piece.”

Jukai had lost count months ago, but he was willing to believe she was right. He grinned and picked up Hyakkimaru from his bed, murmuring softly to him. The boy blinked awake and grimaced sleepily. He made a small, unhappy noise and tried to cover his new ears with his little wooden hands.

“Perhaps your sensitive hearing is too much for him?” Jukai watched him worriedly. The fox morphed back to her true form and waved a furry tail in dismissal.

“He simply needs to get used to it. Fox cubs are born deaf and blind as well, you know.” She stretched lazily and sauntered towards the door she had left open earlier. “I’m going hunting.”

Jukai didn’t bother to watch her go, instead staring at the confused baby in his arms.

“It’s all right, Hyakkimaru. You have plenty of time to get used to all of it.”

Cooking breakfast with his son in one arm was awkward, but worth the hassle when Hyakkimaru curled his fingers into his father’s kimono and went back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New demons appearing in this chapter:  
> -Shike Nyudo from “The Four Turned Bonze” (cameo) -- It seems Tezuka based him on the legend of the vengeful priest Raigō, who turned into the yokai [Tesso](http://yokai.com/tesso/)  
> -[Amanojaku](http://yokai.com/amanojaku/) from the 1969 anime (cameo)  
> -[Nekomata](http://yokai.com/nekomata/)  
> -[Tengu](http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/tengu.shtml) from the film  
> -Jiromaru from "Shiranui" (mentioned)  
> -[Jubokko](http://yokai.com/jubokko/), the demon tree from the film  
> -[Todomeki](https://hyakumonogatari.com/2014/03/19/todomeki-the-hundreds-of-eyes-demon/)  
> -[Yamabiko](http://yokai.com/yamabiko/)
> 
> Here's a photo of what Tamamo no Mae's [wood ears](https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/wood-ear-tree-ear) look like.
> 
> Also, maple is much nicer to work with than cherry because it doesn't burn the moment you touch it with a saw blade. That demon tree can fight me on this. I took Jubokko's story about bodies buried under a cherry tree from _Tokyo Babylon_ , but I don't know if it's an actual part of Japanese folklore.
> 
> Thanks again to Fetuscakes for the beta, your suggestions were invaluable.
> 
> Again, feedback is welcome! if you have any suggestions for future shenanigans, I'd love to hear.


	3. While You Were Being Daimyō, I Studied the Blade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is it responsible to teach a six-year-old how to wield a sword? Of course not! But he's gonna learn anyway!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "It's technically Friday," I mutter to myself before I post this at 1am.
> 
> As per usual, the new demons appearing in this chapter can be found in the end notes.

It amazed Jukai how quickly Hyakkimaru grew up. He felt as though one day, Hyakkimaru had only recently learned to crawl, and the next he was running around the house and the field outside, chasing the tiny imps that showed up to play with him. The years passed in a blur of treating patients, raising a child, and dealing with the demons who treated his home as a rest stop for their travels. He deliberately didn’t ask what they did when they weren’t around, because he knew the value of plausible deniability.

His patients never seemed to know how to react to Hyakkimaru upon first meeting him. His bright orange eyes and seamless wooden limbs, combined with the fey aura which seemed to surround him, made most people cautious. Once they saw how helpful and curious he was, though, they usually came around to at least tolerate him. The younger kids took to him more readily, and Hyakkimaru would often help to distract the siblings or children of Jukai’s patients, showing them interesting rocks and small animals he found outside.

At six years old, Hyakkimaru had already explored every inch of the land surrounding the house, climbed every tree, and inspected every rock in the river. He grew close to the demons who showed up most frequently, going so far as to call them “aunt” and “uncle”. When he was old enough to realize how different he was and ask questions about it, those demons and Jukai each told him a part of the story of where he came from. The night he learned about what his birth father had done was the first time Jukai could recall his son closing off completely from him. Though he didn’t cry, Jukai could see the heartbreak in his expression. He sat on his futon, knees to his chest, and didn’t react to Jukai’s attempts to comfort him. By the next morning, he seemed to have processed the information and put it aside, with only a faint sadness lurking in his eyes for the next few days.

“You're really okay with him calling you so familiarly?” Jukai asked one day as he supervised Hyakkimaru’s riding lesson with Sagari as both teacher and mount. Tamamo no Mae gave him a considering stare over the duck she had caught.

“He respects me, in his own way, and he has earned the right. If you wish, you may call me Mae-sama. I already know you fear me, so there's no need to stand on ceremony.”

There was blood smeared all over her muzzle. Jukai did, in fact, fear her, but probably not as much as he ought to. He knew there was a wealth of knowledge hidden inside her head, so he decided to bring up a more pressing concern he had.

“There have been a lot more little monsters showing up recently and causing trouble. Nobody has gotten hurt yet, but it's getting hard to explain to my patients why things keep falling and invisible fingers keep pinching them.” Jukai shoved his hands into his sleeves with a frustrated sigh. “I can't see them either, but Hyakkimaru can.”

“It was bound to happen eventually,” Tamamo no Mae said. “Every monster in Japan can feel the influence of the forty-eight on him, and they will be drawn to it. But not all of them will respect that he, and you by extension, are under our protection. Some may attempt to undermine us by going after him.”

Jukai felt the blood drain from his face. 

“What can we do? There must be some way to help.”

“He'll have to learn to defend himself.” The fox licked the last of the blood from her face. “Sagari tells me he's a fast learner, and you know something about swords, don't you?”

Jukai nodded. He had, at one time, been a swordsman of modest skill. He’d never wanted to use those skills again after all of the people he'd hurt, all of the lives he'd ended. And for what? A senseless, unending war over scraps of land. But what better reason could he have for dusting off his old swords than to protect his son?

“I might be a little rusty.” He was already thinking about which kata they should begin with. There was no need to give a six-year-old a sharpened sword, so he needed to carve a couple of bokken for their practice.

“I may know someone who can help.” Tamamo no Mae stood and stretched from the tips of her nine tails to the toes on her front paws. “It’s merely a matter of tracking him down and getting him to listen.”

Jukai could fully admit that her suggestion only made him more worried, but it wasn’t like he could tell her no. He watched her disappear in a small swirl of flame which he was sure she only used for the drama of it. Groaning, he went to his wood supply in search of something suitable to carve two bokken from.

 

* * *

 

Hyakkimaru enjoyed sword training. Dad wouldn’t let him use a real sword yet, but he had promised he could once he had the basics down. The idea was so exciting that he practiced as hard and for as much time every day as Dad would allow him to, between riding lessons with Sagari and Aunt Mae teaching him how to track by smell and sound along with visual clues. It was exhausting, learning all of these new things.

Dad was also teaching him to read and write in their more relaxed hours, so he sat in front of the fire with a brush, ink, and a sheet of paper to practice his kana while Dad carved a leg in the workshop. His handwriting was improving a little, but it was nowhere near as precise and legible as Dad’s. He grimaced down at his line of の’s, wondering if they were getting less wobbly or if that was wishful thinking.

There was a knock at the door, which slid open to reveal a sickly looking woman.

“Is the doctor in?” She asked. Hyakkimaru squinted at her. She had a demon’s aura, but it was weak, and her red soul flame flickered and sputtered. He didn’t know if Dad knew how to treat demon illnesses.

“He’s in his workshop.” He pointed towards the door that separated the two halves of the house. She nodded her thanks and plodded towards the door as if every step was difficult.

_ Dad, you have a patient. _ Hyakkimaru sent the thought in Dad’s direction.  _ She’s not human, but I think she’s ill. _

_ Thanks, _ came the reply.  _ I’ll see what I can do. _

Hyakkimaru crept to the doorway and peeked in as Dad had the woman lie down on the examination table and he checked her pulse.

“Well, your heart isn’t beating, which could be part of your issue.” He scratched his beard as she gazed pleadingly up at him.

“But you can help, right? You’re a doctor!”

“Maybe. I’m used to treating humans, though, and the demons who’re always hanging about the place haven’t exactly needed medical treatment. How long ago did you heartbeat stop?” He ticked the questions off on his fingers. “Has this body always been yours, or did you possess it? And, if you did, was the body still alive at the time?”

The woman blinked up at him, nonplussed.

“Uh… it’s my body.” She looked almost sheepish at being caught out. “I don’t actually have a heartbeat. But I haven’t been feeling well for the past few weeks, since my last victim.”

Dad didn’t bat an eyelash.

“How do you catch your victims? Do you eat them, or do you absorb their energy?”

“I catch young men when they try to bring me home, like this.” Her hair sprang to life, waving around and grabbing hold of various objects in the room. Hyakkimaru tensed, but she didn't seem like she was about to hurt Dad— she merely wrapped one lock around his hand. “Then I tear them apart and eat what’s left. It’s hardly worse than what they do to the women they meet on their war campaigns.”

Jukai studied the hair wrapped around his hand and gave it an experimental tug. It relaxed and slithered back onto the table. Satisfied nothing bad was going to happen to his dad, Hyakkimaru went back to the fire and his writing practice. The woman, who introduced herself as Harionago, left some time later with strict instructions not to eat anyone else wearing prayer beads and to check in again in a week’s time.

 

* * *

 

A few weeks later, Aunt Bandai showed up in the middle of sword training. Hyakkimaru dropped his bokken and ran over to her, ignoring his dad’s amused snort.

“Aunt Bandai! You’re back!” He came to a stop in front of her. “How is your village?”

“They’re a whole lot of trouble, but it’s easy enough to scare them back into being productive. It helps that the rumors of an enormous demon in the woods keep the samurai and brigands away, so they don’t try to steal our hard-earned money. Not that I’d let them get away with a single coin, but it’s so much easier this way.” She smiled kindly down at him and petted his hair.

“Wow, I wish I could scare bad people away like that. I can’t even grow horns.”

“Well, perhaps you’re just a late bloomer.” She ran her hand silkily through his hair, almost as if feeling for nubs on his forehead. “Most of the family ages at different rates, you know.”

“Why does that matter?” Hyakkimaru frowned up at her and tried to put his hair back into place. “I’m adopted.”

“What? Who told you?” Aunt Bandai’s horns extended as she scowled deeply. “I bet it was the kappa, wasn’t it?”

Hyakkimaru giggled and nodded. It hadn’t been, but he thought Aunt Bandai and Uncle Minogame’s rivalry was hilarious.

Somewhere in a pond on the other side of Japan, a chill ran down Minogame’s spine.

Aunt Bandai huffed, but let the subject drop for the moment. From her obi, she pulled out a battered katana in its saya.

“This is Nihil. He has agreed to assist you with your sword training.” She held the sword out to him. Hyakkimaru hesitated.

“Dad says I can’t use a real sword until I practice more. He doesn’t want me getting cut.”

Aunt Bandai rolled her eyes heavenwards.

“Nihil won’t cut you, not as long as you are working towards the same goal. And besides, this blade he currently occupies is too rusty and dull to cut anything anyway.”

Hyakkimaru reached out and took the sword from her hands. Immediately a voice whispered in the back of his mind.

_ So you’re the nephew of ours I’ve heard so much about these past six years. Haven’t had the chance to come by, but I’ve been traveling from blade to blade, and I haven’t found the right host to take me. You understand. _

Hyakkimaru didn’t understand, but he nodded anyway.

_ Do you live inside this sword? How does that work? _ He asked. A chuckle emanated from the sword.

_ When an object exists for long enough, it gains a mind of its own. I was originally a blade which cut through thousands of bodies until all of the blood woke me up and made me aware of my own thirst. When that blade broke, I found a new one. _ Nihil sounded bored with the conversation already.  _ In return for me teaching you how to wield me, I have a request. When you are ready to use a blade for real, you must let me possess it and carry me with you at all times. I can tell that you will see enough battle in your future to keep me satisfied. _

The words scared Hyakkimaru. He didn’t actually want to go to battle, or kill people. He only wanted to learn how to use a sword and get stronger. Nihil clearly heard his thoughts, because his next words cut through his uncertainty.

_ Listen, there are gonna be monsters who will attack you because they can feel us on you. But more importantly, there will be humans who attack you, because they can’t. Why do you want to learn? What will you do with that strength? Will you use it for yourself alone, to prove you’re stronger than them? _

Hyakkimaru stared down at the blade and bit his lip.

“No,” he murmured aloud. “I want to get stronger so I can protect the ones I love. I’m not going to be like that man, who would sell his son for power.”

Nihil’s silence stretched for long enough that Hyakkimaru worried he’d offended the sword spirit. When he looked up, he noticed Dad and Aunt Bandai both had surprised and considering expressions on their faces. He felt his cheeks burn and his eyes darted back down.

_ What an unusual human you are, _ Nihil finally said.  _ I look forward to teaching you if you’re prepared to put in the effort. _

“I am.”

_ Unsheathe me, and I'll show you what to do. _

 

* * *

 

Training with Nihil was much more exhausting than training with his dad had been, and Hyakkimaru realized how much the man had pulled his punches. He managed to keep up as a sparring partner against Hyakkimaru and Nihil's combined strikes, which grew more and more refined as the months passed. The proud look in his eyes when Hyakkimaru flawlessly executed a new move was something he grew to crave more and more.

Dad still insisted on warming up and doing some practice with the bokken, citing a need to learn the moves without coming to rely on Nihil's help. In doing so, Hyakkimaru could tell the muscle memory was there in his own body and not merely a product of the demon guiding his movements. Nihil took the opportunity to transfer his consciousness to other swords, needing to feed on the blood of battle. Though he could tell the whole subject made his dad upset, Hyakkimaru didn't see much point in keeping the sword from feeding on people who were going to die on the wrong end of a blade regardless. He didn't mention that, though. Dad never talked much about his life before Hyakkimaru came to him, though he'd gathered enough clues from overheard conversations with his aunts and uncles to know there was a lot of violence and regret.

“Dad, are you… are you upset I’m learning how to use a sword?” Hyakkimaru asked one night. His dad gave him a curious glance. “It’s just… I know you don’t like that old sword of yours, and you always look so upset when someone comes in with sword wounds. Is it bad I want to learn?”

The bearded man reached out and pulled Hyakkimaru into his lap. He went willingly and curled up in his dad’s arms.

“I’ve done things I regret, son, and I did some of them with a sword. But since then, you’re the best thing that could have happened to me. If teaching you how to use a sword keeps you safe and unharmed, that’s what’s important.” He met his son’s eyes and brushed a lock of hair from them. “And I’m so proud of you for what you said, the day you met Nihil. I couldn’t have put it better myself.”

Hyakkimaru blushed and buried his face in his dad’s chest. He smiled into the fabric against his skin when he felt the rumbling laugh.

 

* * *

 

“Look, little one. You see how the dew on these blades of grass is disturbed?” Aunt Mae sniffed at the grass. “Something passed by not long ago.”

Hyakkimaru tilted his head and studied the grass. From a certain angle, he could see what she meant about the dew. There was a trail, barely visible, through the grass. He sniffed.

“A rabbit?” He thought it might be, but he still got scents mixed up sometimes. Aunt Mae indicated for him to follow the trail. It led them into the treeline, where he found a burrow nestled between the roots of a tall pine.

“Well done.” Aunt Mae sniffed at the burrow. “It’s in there.”

“Yeah, I can feel it.”

Aunt Mae tilted her head at him.

“What do you mean, you can feel it?” Her ears swiveled fully forward in interest. Hyakkimaru frowned.

“I mean, I can feel the little… uh… the signals its body makes when it moves. You know, the same way I always know which way is north, or when lightning is about to strike.”

Aunt Mae’s head tilted the other way as she studied him.

“Is— is that bad?” He wondered if he should have kept it to himself.

“No, not bad. It sounds useful. I only wonder if that is a skill Jiromaru gave you.” Her tails swayed lazily. “I cannot feel prey the way you described. I can, however, hear it trying to escape.”

She leapt to the other side of the tree, where the burrow had another exit, grabbing the squealing rabbit in her jaws as it rushed out. Hyakkimaru winced at the crunch of its neck.

“Now, what do you say we make your father cook this for us while we test out this skill of yours?” Her voice was a little muffled around the rabbit. Hyakkimaru beamed at her and readily agreed.

By the time his dad called them for lunch, they had discovered that, while the range at which he could sense living creatures was limited, it was almost impossible for him to lose his sense of direction. Aunt Mae nodded approvingly at him after she made him spin until he was dizzy and walk north with his eyes closed.

“We need to find a way for you to talk with Jiromaru about this,” she said. “It could be that the sense works differently underwater, but he likely still has advice for how he uses it.”

Hyakkimaru had never seen a shark before. He imagined they must look like bigger versions of the fish in the river, but with sharp teeth.  And the sea… was it like a pond, only so big and so wide you couldn’t see the other shore? He wanted to see it someday. He wanted to explore everything.

“Have you ever been to the sea, Aunt Mae?” he asked between bites of rabbit and vegetable stew. She leaned back and took a long drag from her pipe.

“Yes, for business and pleasure. It’s a sight to behold, to be sure, but I’m not fond of what the salt does to my fur.”

Hyakkimaru pressed a hand to the top of his head in concern. Maybe he didn’t want to go to the sea after all. He already had enough trouble getting his hair to behave as it was— it was like it had a mind of its own. Aunt Mae smirked at him, clearly following his thought process.

“I think you would be fine, young one.” She blew a perfect smoke ring towards the ceiling. “It can’t look messier than it already does.”

Hyakkimaru protested loudly over his dad and Aunt Mae’s laughter.

 

* * *

 

Jukai stared down at the sword in his hand, incredulous. He had been working to restore the blade Nihil resided in, and today the tsukumogami had given him a suggestion between strokes on the whetstone.

“I’m sorry, you want me to do what to my son?”

_ You heard me. Put this blade and the named one in his arms. It’s a good solution. _

“He’s not even seven years old yet! Why would he need to carry around a blade at all times, let alone two?  _ In his arms? _ ” Jukai protested.

_ We’re not going to do it  _ now _ , idiot human, his arms are too short. But until he’s fully grown, he needs to worry about an opponent overpowering him. If you do as I suggest, he will never be— heh heh— disarmed. _

Jukai gazed up at the ceiling and prayed to the gods for patience.

_ Besides, I already had Minogame track down Jubokko to request help. The tree will do it in a few years’ time since I’m sure you can’t manipulate the wood as it can. _

“What makes you think he would want swords in his arms, anyway?” Jukai glared at the blade in his hands. He was tempted to file down the edge he’d spent hours honing in retaliation.

_ I brought it up with him first. He likes the idea. _

_ ‘Of course,’ _ Jukai thought privately.  _ ‘A little kid would think that’s the coolest thing ever.’ _

“Fine. But I’m not letting any of you out of my sight.”

_ Oh, and be sure to put your named blade in the left arm. I’ll be moving into it as soon as you’re done sharpening this one. _

Jukai felt an eyebrow twitch.

“You— did I just go through all of the trouble honing this thing for you for  _ nothing? _ ”

 

* * *

 

They waited until Hyakkimaru reached his tenth birthday. Jubokko was thrilled to see Hyakkimaru again. It reached out its tendrils and picked him up around the waist, holding him at eye level.

“Look how you’ve grown!” it cooed at him, and he giggled. “Your branches look wonderful, sapling.”

“Thanks!” He patted the nearest branch. “They’re great.”

Jukai insisted on giving his son a dose of pain medication before Jubokko did anything, arguing that they didn’t know how painful the process might be and that he had no desire to find out. Hyakkimaru pouted when Jukai handed him the bitter liquid, but downed it anyway and waited for it to kick in. As they waited, Jukai disassembled both katana to leave only the cloth-covered blades with their bare tangs, ready to be embedded into the wood. The thought made Jukai a little sick, but Hyakkimaru didn’t appear worried as he leaned against Jubokko’s trunk and talked softly with it. He could tell exactly when the poppy milk kicked in. Blinking slowly, Hyakkimaru’s words began to slur, and he slumped harder into the tree trunk. Within minutes he was asleep.

“So how does this work? Please tell me I’m not going to have to take a saw to my son's arms.” Jukai arranged Hyakkimaru so he laid on his back. Jubokko made a disdainful noise and reached out several tendrils.

“Saws are barbaric, and if you get near me with one, I’ll drain your blood before you can move.”

“I promise you, I wasn’t planning on it.”

Two of the tree’s tendrils wrapped around each of Hyakkimaru’s forearms, and it made a windy, groaning noise. A line appeared on each arm, slightly below the elbow. The lines widened and deepened until the arms separated on one clean plane. Jukai leaned forward to look at the rings in the wood, knowing they contained the history of Hyakkimaru’s childhood. More tendrils carefully gripped the katana blades and pressed the tangs into the exposed heartwood in the center of each elbow. The wood gave way with the gentle shushing sound of a planer across a board, sinking the blade in until only the length of a child’s forearm was left exposed. When Jukai looked at the back of the elbow closer to him, he noticed that no metal poked out the other side.

“Where’s the rest of the blade?” He tilted his head for a better view. “They’re definitely long enough to be sticking out the other side.”

“Don’t worry about it, they’ll grow out as he does. Now wiggle them around and make sure they’re in there tightly,” the tree instructed. Jukai glared at it for the non-answer. He reached out and, gripping Hyakkimaru’s left arm in one hand and the cloth-covered blade in the other, he did as instructed. It didn’t budge. With a satisfied hum, Jubokko took his forearms and slid them back on over the blades. When the raw edges of the wood met, they fused back together with a quiet sucking sound.

“They won’t come off unless he wants them to, now,” Jubokko assured him.

_ This feels extremely weird. I would just like all of you to know. _ Nihil spoke up from within the Hyakkimaru blade as if this hadn’t been his idea in the first place.

Jukai didn’t bother to respond. He gathered Hyakkimaru up into his arms and, with a quick word of thanks to Jubokko, took him inside to let him sleep off the drugs. He set Hyakkimaru down on his bedding so the boy could rest comfortably. He brushed aside some hair from his son’s face as the implications of the operation that just took place sank in. He had expected to feel worried— or possibly damned— for allowing a demon to attach a weapon of war to such a young child.  _ His _ young child. But he no longer thought of it that way. This was all so Hyakkimaru could defend himself and defend others. He stroked the top of his son’s head again, though there were no more stray hairs to brush aside. He couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky he was to have Hyakkimaru in his life. How odd, that his downfall came at the hands of men and his redemption at the hands of demons and a child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New Demons:  
> -[Harionago](http://yokai.com/harionago/) from "Hyakkimaru", the demon who tries to strangle Jukai with her hair in the manga  
> -Nihil, a sword [Tsukumogami](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsukumogami)
> 
> a HUGE thank you to Fetuscakes for all of your help on this chapter and for basically writing the last paragraph for me. This chapter would not be what it is without your help.
> 
> The part where Nihil asks Hyakkimaru why he wants to learn how to use a sword is inspired by young Kurogane's conversation with his father in chapter 93 of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle


	4. Shark Week

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It turns out that Hyakkimaru isn't the only child the forty-eight demons have taken to caring for, so it's time for a road trip to meet Hyakkimaru's new cousin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited to see Shiranui in the anime, but as his episode hasn't aired yet, he's entirely manga-based at this point. Big shout out to my friend Ayatonic/Lazer for igniting my newfound love for this piece of shit shark boy.
> 
> Demon research in the end notes, as always

Maimai-onba didn’t come by the house very often. When she did, it was because she needed something from Jukai. She didn’t actually ask for help, of course. Instead, she usually made demands and offered some sort of trade to “ensure she didn’t owe him a favor.”

One day during the middle of winter, just after Hyakkimaru turned six, she stepped out from the trees with a toddler in tow. Hyakkimaru looked up from the stump he and Nihil were attacking and grinned at her.

“Aunt Maimai! I missed you!” He trotted over to her, sheathing a complaining Nihil as he ran. He stopped in front of the little girl and bowed quickly. “I’m Hyakkimaru! Nice to meet you.”

Maimai-onba crouched and urged the child forward.

“Don’t be shy. Say hello to your cousin.”

“Hello…” the girl murmured. She looked up at her mother’s face. “Mommy, can I eat him?”

Hyakkimaru frowned at her and Nihil snickered. Maimai-onba shook her head.

“No, Kaiko, your cousin is not for eating. I need you to go play with him while I speak to his father.”

Kaiko pouted, but she was happy enough to follow Hyakkimaru into the snow to help him build a snow-moth-man.

Maimai-onba found Jukai in his clinic, fitting a prosthetic hand on an elderly man. He nodded at her in greeting.

“Please give me a few more minutes, Ōjo-sama. Then I’m all yours.”

She tucked her hands into her furisode sleeves and waited for him to finish. The elderly patient kept sneaking surprised looks at her, as though he couldn’t believe that a woman of her stature would deign to come here. It was annoying, but injuring the doctor’s patient would likely make him unwilling to assist her. To her immense relief, the patient only stayed for another quarter of an hour, and he nodded respectfully to her as he left. The doctor shut the door behind him.

“Welcome back, Maimai-onba. What can I help you with?”

One thing that Maimai-onba respected about this particular human was his ability to cut to the chase without engaging in idle small talk. That, and he didn’t simper with fear when she showed him her true form.

“Whatever mental affliction affected the four who brought that child to you is spreading,” she said. Jukai raised an eyebrow. “Jiromaru of the Bone Cape has a human child in his care now as well.”

“Ah, he’s the one who gave Hyakkimaru that shark tooth. Is the child in danger from him?”

“That was _his_ tooth, you fool. And no, he’s not in danger. Jiromaru and his mortal brother are caring for the child, but there are certain… limitations, as you might imagine.”

Jukai gave her an incredulous look.

“Two sharks, raising a human boy? That doesn’t seem like it could work.” He scratched his beard. “And I suppose you’re here because he needs advice?”

“Yes, he has instructed me to bring you to meet the boy and make sure he is healthy. A few of us tried to bring him here, but he refused to leave the area.” Maimai-onba tapped her chin in thought. “I think a week should suffice.”

“A week?” Jukai gave her an incredulous look. “Ōjo-sama, I can’t be gone from my clinic for that long. What about my patients? If someone comes in needing help…”

Maimai-onba made an impatient noise in the back of her throat. Jukai shut up immediately.

“My daughter and I will stay here and inform your patients of your temporary absence, in exchange for you doing this for us. I have learned enough of your triage techniques to keep anyone from dying.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “Besides, I seem to recall that fox mentioning that your child has some senses beyond mere touch which Jiromaru can teach him to use. He needs to learn, does he not?”

Her words weren’t comforting. They really, really weren’t. However, Jukai could see that she wasn’t going to give him a choice in this.

“Very well. I’m concerned about this boy’s health, so you’ll have to give me some time to pack supplies.”

“We leave at dawn.”

 

* * *

 

Jukai packed whatever basic medical supplies and medicine he could foresee needing, but he was sure he’d forgotten something. Maimai-onba and Kaiko stood to the side, waiting impatiently. Hyakkimaru, by contrast, looked thrilled at the prospect of going somewhere new. He fiddled with the ito braid on Nihil’s handle and bounced on his heels, clearly trying to stay still and not having much success. After a couple of minutes, Maimai-onba placed a hand on top of his head and pressed down firmly enough to make him settle. A betrayed look crossed his face when Kaiko laughed at him.

“Calm yourself, child. We will leave shortly. You wouldn’t want your father to forget anything which he might need, would you?”

Hyakkimaru shook his head under her hand and calmed. Jukai placed the last of the herbs he wanted to bring in his bag, slinging it over his shoulder.

“I’m ready, Ōjo-sama.” He gestured for her to lead them. She walked towards the river, leading her daughter by the hand. Jukai took Hyakkimaru’s hand as well and followed. Their feet sank into the sand along the bank, leaving two large and two small sets of footprints. The sound of the river morphed into the crash of waves, and the water began to flow towards and away from their feet rather than past them. Jukai took in the change of scenery. A tall, jagged mountain dropped sharply into a narrow beach, curving around to form a bay. Sharp rocks jutted out of the sand, and a few small shacks dotted the coastline, spread out far from their neighbors. He closed his eyes and took a moment to adjust to the disorientation of the sudden change in location. When he and Hyakkimaru had recovered, Maimai-onba led them to a large outcropping of rocks which protected a small elevated pool.

“This water is fresh, and the child has been staying close to this area. I will inform Jiromaru that you are here. I will return for you in a week’s time unless you have a patient who will die without you before then.” She looked down to meet Hyakkimaru’s eyes. “Listen to Jiromaru, and treat him with the respect he deserves. He is a more fearsome predator than even Tamamo no Mae. It wouldn’t do to upset him.”

Hyakkimaru nodded, wide-eyed. Her lips might have possibly twitched into a hint of a smile. Kaiko dropped her mother’s hand and rushed over to hug him, using her inhuman strength to lift him off the ground. Hyakkimaru made a startled squeak.

“Come play with me again soon, cousin!” she demanded.

“Thank you for your assistance, Ōjo-sama.” Jukai bowed gratefully to the demon. “Please don’t eat any of my patients while I’m gone.”

Maimai-onba didn’t bother to respond, though she looked as though she would have given him a rude gesture had she not been such a refined woman. She took her daughter’s hand again and walked away, fading back into the early morning mist. Jukai picked his way down the rocks to the shore, Hyakkimaru close behind him. He wondered how they were supposed to get the sharks’ attention. He didn’t like the idea of swimming out into the water when he knew that there were also non-demonic sharks, and he still had bad memories from the last time he’d gone into the ocean. Hyakkimaru rushed up to the water’s edge, giggling when a wave rushed past his feet and submerged them to his ankles. The surf was gentle today, but Jukai knew that could change quickly.

“Hey! This is my beach!”

Father and son both looked behind them to see an angry child marching towards them. His spiky black hair stuck out behind his head and fell into his eyes, while his tiny nose scrunched up in anger. He couldn’t have been older than four or five.

“Get out of here, before I feed you to my sharks!” the child stopped in front of Jukai and placed his tiny hands on his tiny hips. “They’ll eat anyone!”

Jukai smiled and crouched to the boy’s eye level. He heard Hyakkimaru walk up beside him.

“I’m actually looking for a shark. His name is Jiromaru, and we need his help. Maybe you know him?”

The boy’s dark eyes widened.

“How do you know my shark’s name?” he demanded. “He and Saburomaru are _my_ friends.”

“He’s one of the forty-eight demons!” Hyakkimaru piped up. “That means he’s my uncle. And that would make you my cousin!”

The child crossed his arms and pouted at Hyakkimaru.

“I don’t have any family. Just the sharks.”

“Well if the sharks are your family, then I am too!” Hyakkimaru insisted. “I’m Hyakkimaru. What’s your name?”

The younger boy’s face made a number of complex expressions before it settled on embarrassed. He blushed, hid his face in his bangs, and murmured “I’m Shiranui.”

Jukai stood and gazed back out at the water.

“Shiranui, is there some way we can meet with Jiromaru? Hyakkimaru needs his help with something, and he asked me to look at you and make sure you’re healthy. I’m a doctor.”

Shiranui glared at him, shoulders hunching up to his ears.

“I’m fine! I don’t need a doctor!” He backed up a few steps. “Jiromaru and Saburomaru are probably swimming around out there. I need to go check the bird traps so I can feed them.”

He pointed out to sea. Jukai gazed out over the water, but he couldn’t spot any fins.

“Do you have a boat we can use?” he asked. Shiranui crossed his arms.

“Of course I have a boat. Ma and Pa were fishers.” He looked offended. “But you can’t use it until I go out to feed them.”

“Why do you need to feed them?” Hyakkimaru tilted his head at Shiranui. “They’re sharks. They can catch their own food better than you can.”

“What? Of course I have to feed them!” Shiranui’s hands balled up into tiny fists. “They’re still little. They can’t do it on their own!”

“Shiranui, sharks are the best hunters on the planet,” Jukai said. “They’d be fine, and I’m sure they want you to eat the food you catch instead.”

He didn’t mention that Shiranui appeared far too skinny under his ragged clothing. The boy growled in frustration.

“You don’t get understand! If I don’t feed them, they might leave!” His shouting cut off, dropping into a soft murmur. “They might die…”

Shiranui was projecting his insecurities about his parents’ deaths onto the sharks, Jukai realized. The fear of losing them as well kept him from thinking rationally. He sighed and held out a hand, palm up, to the boy. Shiranui stared at it in blank incomprehension.

“Let’s go find something together, then. Hyakkimaru has been training to hunt, and he’s very good at it. We’ll find food for the sharks and for us, how does that sound?”

Shiranui didn’t take his hand, but he did give a reluctant nod.

“Come on.” he gestured for them to follow and ran towards a decrepit house. “My bird traps are this way.

 

* * *

 

Shiranui didn’t trust them, Hyakkimaru could tell, but he didn’t try to attack them. They found a shallow tide pool and Hyakkimaru unsheathed Nihil from his waist, using his soul-sight and the sword’s guidance to spear a few fish. When he slid them off the sword and handed them over to the younger boy, there was grudging admiration in his eyes.

“That.. was kinda cool…” he muttered, staring at the sword. “I bet that’s useful.”

Hyakkimaru held the blade up so Shiranui could look at it closer. The inscription glinted in the sunlight.

“I’m named after this sword. My uncle Nihil is a sword spirit, and he lives inside it.”

“Can it talk?” Shiranui ran a hand gently up the spine of the blade.

_I hear you’re Jiromaru’s new charge._

Shiranui yelped and leapt back.

“It does talk! And it knows Jiromaru!”

_He’s one of the forty-eight. We don’t talk to each other much, possessing the forms we do, but I know of him._

“You… you weren’t lying about that?” Shiranui tilted his head at Hyakkimaru. “I didn’t think it was real.”

Hyakkimaru frowned and sheathed Nihil again.

“Of course I wasn’t lying. Why would I lie about that?”

“I dunno.” Shiranui shrugged. “My neighbor keeps trying to convince me I should live with him instead of with Jiromaru because the sharks will eat me.”

“Well, that’s not very nice of him.” Hyakkimaru frowned. “The forty-eight demons would never hurt me, so if Jiromaru claimed you like Aunt Maimai said he did, he won’t hurt you either.”

For the first time since they’d met, Shiranui’s scowl softened into something a little kinder.

“Do… do you want to see where I find crabs?”

Hyakkimaru nodded and followed him to another tidepool. This one had lots of jagged rocks, creating the perfect environment for limpets and crabs. Shiranui’s hand shot forward and snagged a crab as it scuttled by, smashing it against the rock to stun it. Hyakkimaru watched the other crabs. Settling his breathing the way Aunt Mae had taught him, he waited until a large one rushed past, darting his right hand out to grab it. It squirmed and flailed, but couldn’t escape.

Shiranui was tearing the legs off of his crab and sucking the meat out. Hyakkimaru raised his up to his eye level, intending to bite the head and kill it quickly, but it swung a claw out and grabbed him by the nose. He screamed.

“Ow! Let go!” He could hear Shiranui laughing at him as he tugged on the crab, trying to get it to release him.

“Hyakkimaru? What’s wrong?” Jukai jogged up to them and crouched in front of him. “Now how did that happen?”

“Dad, help!” Hyakkimaru cried. He could see his dad trying not to laugh at him, but it wasn’t funny! It hurt! Shiranui wasn’t being any help at all, just rolling on the sand and cackling. He scowled, though he was sure the pained tears leaking from his eyes ruined it. Dad reached up and pinched the crab’s claw, making it release its grip on his nose. Hyakkimaru reached up and rubbed at it, trying to get it to stop hurting.

“Hyakkimaru, were you trying to eat this raw?”

“…Maybe. But Shiranui was doing it too!”

Dad turned to the younger boy, who had stopped laughing and clutched his half-eaten crab with a pout.

“You really should cook that, Shiranui. You might get sick.”

“I’m fine,” he insisted, but he handed it over when Jukai held a hand out for it. “I’ve never gotten sick from it before…”

“I’d feel better if you did, though.” He smiled at Shiranui. “If you catch a few more, I can cook them over a fire for all of us.”

Shiranui looked intrigued at the idea. He and Hyakkimaru quickly turned it into a contest of who could catch more, until the basket Jukai had brought over was nearly full of them. He gave both boys an approving grin and picked it up.

“While I cook these, why don’t you two take the boat out to see the sharks? You can take those fish and the birds you caught earlier.”

Shiranui gathered up their catch and showed Hyakkimaru where he’d moored his boat. Together, they pushed it into the surf. Hyakkimaru watched as Shiranui struggled with the large oar, but the younger boy snappishly refused to let him help. The current pushed them out, but Hyakkimaru worried about how they would get back to shore. Shiranui guided the boat out to a calm spot just inside the boundaries of the bay. Picking up one of the birds, he leaned over the edge of the boat and slapped it against the water a few times.

“Jiromaru! Saburomaru! I brought you something!”

The water was still for so long that Hyakkimaru began to doubt that the sharks would come out. A shadow in the water below caught his attention, and he leaned over to watch it. Slowly, it resolved into two forms, which drew close enough to the surface that he could make out two dog-sized sharks. They surfaced, fins and snouts jutting out of the water before dipping back down again. Shiranui grinned.

“Aren’t they amazing?” he asked, tossing a bird to each. Hyakkimaru nodded. The sharks had a subtle mottled pattern and dozens of long, thin teeth in their gaping mouths which made quick work of the proffered food. Their beady silver eyes gazed up at the boat’s passengers as they circled.

“Hello, Uncle Jiromaru, Uncle Saburomaru! I’m Hyakkimaru!” He dropped a few fish over the side of the boat.

 _Welcome, Hyakkimaru. I had hoped to meet you one day, after the tales the others have told me about you. And welcome, Nihil. It’s been a while._ The shark’s mental voice was as smooth as his fin cutting through seawater.

 _Hey there._ Nihil gave off the mental impression of waving hello, so Hyakkimaru held the sword up for the sharks to see. _You’re looking distinctly fleshy now._

Shiranui’s gaze darted between the sharks and Hyakkimaru with wide eyes.

“Jiromaru? You can talk?”

_I can. How else would I have told you my brother and my names?_

Shiranui blinked, then scratched the back of his neck in a sheepish gesture.

“I… thought that was a dream…”

“Hey, you’re a really old and powerful demon, right?” Hyakkimaru studied Jiromaru. “So why are you so small?”

 _Some of us have not always existed in physical bodies._ Jiromaru flicked his tail and circled around to the other side of the boat. _Your flesh gave the power to take physical form to those of us who chose to. I was an ocean spirit, before this. I came upon boats in the night and sank them._

“Is that why that man selling you guys my body was such a big deal?” Hyakkimaru sat back and pulled Nihil halfway out of the saya. “My body parts gave you more power, didn’t they?”

 _Human flesh holds power, kid,_ Nihil said. _Willingly given, it can boost a demon’s power tenfold or more._

 _If you were to kill one of us, you would gain back whatever piece that demon took from you._ Jiromaru didn’t sound concerned about the information he’d just given out. Shiranui, however, leapt to his feet, making the boat rock.

“You can’t kill Jiromaru! I won’t let you!”

Hyakkimaru blinked at him, deliberately sheathing Nihil.

“I don’t want to kill him.” He held his hands out, palm up. “I want him to teach me how to use the sense of touch he gave me.”

“But…” Shiranui’s brow furrowed. “You just said that the demons have your body parts.”

“They do. And then they replaced them with better ones.” He stuck out his tongue in frustration when Shiranui didn’t seem to understand. “Sit down, I’m not going to hurt the sharks.”

 _Shiranui. Be nice to your cousin._ Jiromaru scolded the boy, who sat back down and crossed his arms, pouting. _Now, tell me about what you can feel, and I will help you make sense of it._

An hour later, they had laid the groundwork for what Jiromaru would teach Hyakkimaru in the coming week. Shiranui got bored of sitting in the boat after a few minutes and jumped into the frigid water to ride Saburomaru around. He was shivering when he got back in, but he looked happy. When it was time to go back, both sharks helped to push the boat back near shore. Jiromaru instructed Shiranui to listen to Hyakkimaru’s father, which sent the younger boy straight back into another sulk. He glared at the bearded man as they sat together in front of the house, waiting for dinner. The large serving of steamed crab he got for dinner helped to pull him out of his bad mood, however, and by the end of the night, he shyly offered to let them sleep on the floor of his house.

“All our futons got destroyed when the soldiers came through and took everything,” he said. “Oh, and don’t step in Ma’s blood. I can’t get it out of the floor.”

Hyakkimaru stared in horror at the large bloodstain on the sandy floorboards, stepping around it with a wince.

“What happened?” he asked. Shiranui gave him a forced shrug.

“A soldier cut her throat when she screamed at him for killing Pa.”

They got as comfortable as they could on the floor, with Hyakkimaru curling up against his dad’s side on his bedroll and Shiranui a few feet away. No one touched the bloodstain, but Hyakkimaru was sure he heard his dad murmuring a prayer to the Buddha for her soul.

 

* * *

 

Shiranui studied the large man as he swept the sand from the floor of the little house. He and his son had been here for a couple of days now, and the doctor had been making Shiranui help repair the house while Hyakkimaru went out and did… something with the sharks. _His sharks_. Shiranui wondered if Jiromaru and Saburomaru liked him better since he actually had some relation to them. He hugged his knees to his chest and stared out towards the waves, wishing these people would leave him alone. He and his sharks had been perfectly fine before they showed up.

“Shiranui?” Jukai’s voice startled him. He hadn’t noticed that the man had finished sweeping. “I’m going to start repairing the roof, now. Can you help me gather stones like this one?”

He held out a rock about the size of two fists. Shiranui stared at it.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked. Jukai crouched next to him.

“Well, we use the rocks to hold the shingles in place and—”

“No! I mean, why are you doing—” Shiranui gestured wildly, trying to convey his bewilderment “— any of this? Why are you helping me?”

Jukai set down the rock and looked Shiranui in the eye.

“I’m a doctor. Helping people is what I do. Since you won’t let me give you a check-up, I thought I could at least help you in other ways.”

Shiranui sprang to his feet and kicked the man in the knee, which did nothing but give him a sore toe. The doctor watched him with confusion and pity in his features. Shiranui bared his teeth in frustration.

“If you’re a doctor, then why weren’t you here to help when Ma was bleeding on the floor? Why didn’t you help her? Why—” his voice cracked and he choked on a sob. “Why didn’t anybody help us? I screamed and screamed, and no one came.”

The doctor held open his arms. Shiranui glared at him until the tears made his sight to blurry. He stepped forward and fell into the man’s embrace. His warm arms held him tight as he shook and wailed. He wasn’t sure how long he cried, but eventually, his sobs died down into sniffles. He clutched the fabric of Jukai’s kimono tightly.

“The neighbor came the next morning and took Ma and Pa away. He tried to take me away too. He told me that I’d be safer living with him.” Shiranui bit the words out into Jukai’s shoulders. “But where was he the night before? He didn’t care about how safe I was then.”

“I’m sorry, Shiranui. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to help. Your neighbor probably regrets not helping then, and wanted to make up for it.”

“I don’t want his help. I hate him.”

“He probably would have been killed too, if he’d tried to help.”

“Good,” Shiranui spat. The doctor sighed and stood, picking him up with little effort. He wrapped his legs around the doctor’s middle and clung tightly, too worn out to protest the coddling. Jukai walked with him down the seashore, occasionally pointing out a pretty shell or an interesting rock. They made it to the freshwater pool, where Jukai set him down against a rock and used the bottom of his sleeve to wash the tear tracks from his cheeks. Shiranui watched him, not making any move to stop his ministrations.

“Do you feel better?” Jukai asked. Shiranui shook his head. He felt numb, and maybe that was better than feeling so angry he would burst with it, but he couldn’t tell.

“Why are you helping me?” he asked again. Jukai’s smile was sad as he reached up and brushed Shiranui’s bangs out of his eyes.

“I swore that I’d try to help as many people as I could. I’m sorry that I got here so late.”

Shiranui nodded and held out his arms for Jukai to pick him up again. He fell asleep before they reached the house.

 

* * *

 

Jukai left the sleeping boy in the house under his bedroll and headed towards the nearest of the nearby houses, situated about a mile down the beach. An elderly man sat in front on a log with a net full of fish, cleaning and scaling them with a sharp knife. When he noticed Jukai’s approach, he gave a cautious wave.

“We don’t get many visitors on the cape,” he said. “What brings you here?”

Jukai didn’t like to lie, but sometimes the truth was too much to explain, and he had to fudge the details.

“My son and I came to visit Shiranui and his family. He’s my nephew. I had no idea what happened to his parents until I got here a few days ago.”

The man’s face creased in regret as he cleaned the scales from his fillet knife.

“Awful business. Those soldiers… I don’t know why they stopped before coming to this house. They took everything from the other houses north of here and marched away.” He picked up another fish. “They would have taken my horse, too, I’m sure of it.”

“How long ago was this?” Jukai sat next to the man on his small bench and held out his hand for a fish. Drawing the small knife he kept in his belt, he began gutting it.

“Nearly a year, now. Poor Shiranui was only three, and he had to see his mother bleed out like that.”

“He’s still very upset about it.”

“As he should be!” The man smacked the fish against his leg. “Those soldiers had no right. I wish I could have helped, but… I’m afraid I am a coward. I was sure that they would have killed me as well.”

“I don’t doubt it.” Jukai frowned as he scraped the scales from the fish. “I’ve been trying to help, repairing the house and whatnot. But I can’t stay for much longer, and I don’t think I can make him come with me.”

The old man gave Jukai a questioning look.

“Is he still hung up on those sharks he found? I tried to convince him they’re dangerous, but he won’t listen to me about it. He resents me for taking his parents’ bodies away, I think.”

“I’ve seen him with those sharks. I can’t explain it, exactly, but they have some sort of bond. I don’t believe they’ll hurt him.” He smiled at the man. “My son has a similar odd friendship with a wild fox who comes by our house sometimes.”

The old man sighed and shook his head.

“Children…” he lamented. Jukai laughed and set the fish aside, reaching for another.

“I’ve tried talking with him about what happened. It seems he was quite rude to you, and I apologize for that.” He met the other man’s eye. “I know he may not appreciate it, but will you please keep an eye on him? I worry.”

The old man huffed and shook his head, a rueful smile on his face.

“I’ve been trying to, but he runs away whenever he sees me. I guess I can continue to leave him some salted fish like I’ve been doing.”

“I’ll try and return soon, but I have my medical practice to consider. I can’t leave my patients alone for too long.”

The old man gave him a wry smile.

“You’re a doctor, eh? Well in return for looking after your nephew, do you think you can take a look at my shoulder? It’s making this awful clicking noise.”

Jukai smiled back and instructed the man to sit straight with his back to him.

 

* * *

 

Hyakkimaru chased Shiranui down the beach, trying to retrieve Nihil’s saya from the laughing boy.

“You’re too slow!” Shiranui crowed, waving the scabbard around like a trophy. Hyakkimaru growled and lunged, taking care to keep his unsheathed sword pointed away.

“Give it back!” He tried to grab the back of Shiranui’s clothes, but the younger boy was too agile. “I need that!”

“Gotta catch me first!”

Hyakkimaru jumped forward and finally managed to get his free hand into Shiranui’s belt, sending them both toppling over. Nihil ended up stuck deep in the sand as he laid sprawled across the other boy, both laughing and breathless.

“Ok, ok, you caught me. Now get off me.” Shiranui rapidly smacked him on the shoulder several times. Hyakkimaru levered himself up and Shiranui wiggled out from under him, but when he gripped Nihil’s tsuka he found that the sword was truly stuck. He tugged a few times, but couldn’t pull it out.

“Help me,” he demanded, trying to wiggle the blade free. Shiranui huffed in exasperation. Standing behind him, he grabbed Hyakkimaru around the waist and tugged. It took a few good pulls, but the sword came free from the wet sand with a slurping noise, sending both boys tumbling backward. Hyakkimaru ended up on top of Shiranui again.

“Get off me!”

They eventually righted themselves, giggling the whole time. Shiranui handed Hyakkimaru the saya. He brushed the sand from the blade and slid it on.

“My, aren’t we having fun?”

Both boys turned to see Aunt Mae in her human form, standing some distance away on the dry sand. Hyakkimaru yelled out an enthusiastic greeting and ran up to hug her. Shiranui approached more cautiously, staring up at her with wide eyes.

“Who are you?” he asked. She smirked down at him and patted his spiky black hair, stiff with saltwater.

“My name is Tamamo no Mae. I am one of the forty-eight demons, same as Jiromaru.” she hummed. “I suppose that makes me your aunt as well.”

Shiranui’s eyes were wide, and Hyakkimaru smirked into her kimono where Shiranui couldn’t see.

“Welcome to the family,” Jukai said as he walked up beside them. He held his bag, repacked and ready to return home. Shiranui’s face fell.

“You’re really leaving?” his voice was small. Hyakkimaru let go of Aunt Mae to pull him into a hug instead.

“We’ll be back! And you can always call for one of our uncles and aunts to come to see you!” He squished Shiranui’s face into his shoulder. “Are you sure you won’t come with us?”

Shiranui pulled away enough that he could breathe.

“I can’t leave Jiromaru and Saburomaru. They’re my family.” He scowled. “But you have to come back and see me again soon, and you can show me more ways to catch things. Just because they don’t _need_ me to find food for them doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.”

It had taken nearly the entire week, but Jukai, Hyakkimaru, and Jiromaru had teamed up to convince Shiranui that the sharks were perfectly capable of catching their own food, although they did appreciate the snacks.

 _And if you ever stumble across any dead soldiers,_ Jiromaru had said, _we would be happy to get rid of those bodies for you._

“I want to! And you can show me how to fish better!” Hyakkimaru released Shiranui, who still looked upset. Dad crouched down and held an arm out. Shiranui hesitated before accepting the hug. He sagged into the doctor’s chest.

“I expect you to take care of yourself and the house until we get back, but you can send for us whenever you need us.” He assured Shiranui. “And make sure those sharks of yours behave, all right? No eating anyone but samurai.”

Shiranui giggled a little and pulled back. He glanced up at Aunt Mae.

“Are you really my aunt?” he narrowed his eyes at her, and she rolled hers in turn.

“I already have one obnoxious human nephew. What’s one more to deal with?”

Both boys protested, and she laughed into her long white sleeve. They all made their final goodbyes. In the distance, Hyakkimaru spotted two shark fins peeking from the surface of the water. Aunt Mae surrounded father, son, and herself in a circle of blue foxfire. When it died, they were back in the field in front of their house, with only the sand on their feet as evidence of their visit.

They barely had time to take in their surroundings when Maimai-onba burst from the house.

“Oh, there you are, _finally._ You have patients who simply don’t understand the meaning of ‘he isn’t here now’!” she yelled. Kaiko followed her mother outside, apparently unconcerned about her mother’s rage. “I demand that you go back in there and see to your duties at once. I am leaving.”

Dad bowed to Maimai-onba and, while he was bent over, he shot Hyakkimaru a rueful grimace. Hyakkimaru giggled.

“I appreciate your assistance, Ōjo-sama. Please feel free to come back anytime.”

“Not likely.” She grabbed her daughter’s hand and melted back into the woods. Aunt Mae snorted a laugh the moment she had faded out of sight. Dad smiled and went inside, heading for the clinic and his impatient patients. With Nihil whispering in his head, Hyakkimaru headed for his sword practice area. He had a whole week of practice to catch up on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New demons in this chapter:  
> -Jiromaru from “Shiranui”, an [Umi bōzu](http://yokai.com/umibouzu/) who took the form of a shark
> 
> I'm absolutely and completely flattered by the reception this and my other Dororo fics have received. If someone had told me a year ago that my most popular fics would be for Dororo, I probably would have laughed, pointed out that "It Feels Like Hope" was the only fic in the tag, and started crying. Thank you so much for all of the love and support, it really helps me keep writing!
> 
> Once again, this chapter would have a lot more mistakes and less polish without the help of my son, the wonderful, marvelous Fetuscakes.


	5. He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother, And He’s Severely Malnourished

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The demons decide that Hyakkimaru needs another human closer to his own age around to keep him from getting lonely. One of them goes overboard and kidnaps an entire family.
> 
> They all mean well, really.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember in the author's notes of chapter 1, where I said this was total crack? Apparently I lied.
> 
> Since episode 9 was a ~~fucking travesty~~ disappointment as far as storytelling and characterization go, especially where Ojiya was concerned, Dororo's backstory and his parents' characters are entirely manga-based. You probably don't have to read it to understand this, but if you want to read the chapter with his backstory, it's available [here](https://mangarock.com/manga/mrs-serie-62772/chapter/mrs-chapter-62779). I always reccommend reading the manga, as it's very fun and fairly short (though maybe just... pretend the last chapter didn't happen).
> 
> Also, as with all of my Dororo fics, you bet your ass Dororo is a trans boy, as he is in canon. If for some reason this rustles your jimmies, you are under no obligation to read this.

After eleven years, Jukai had become all but desensitized to the demons constantly surrounding him, and Hyakkimaru had grown up never knowing anything was odd about it. He never lacked for company, but sometimes Jukai wondered if he needed a human around his age to socialize with. They rarely had the opportunity to travel all the way to the Bone Cape to see Shiranui and the sharks, and the younger boy refused point-blank to leave the seaside. Maimai-onba brought her youngest children around for babysitting regularly, but there was something uncanny about the way demon children interacted with others which human children didn't have. Jukai worried that Hyakkimaru would have trouble relating to other humans if he stayed so cut off from them.

“Why not bring him to see the rest of your family?” Sagari asked one day when Jukai mentioned it. One of his patients had repaid him with a basket of fresh persimmons, and he now sat on the lawn to share them with the horse demon. Jukai chewed thoughtfully.

“Well, all of my immediate family, my parents and siblings, died a long time ago.” It had happened long enough ago that he could talk about it without the regret overwhelming him. “I never married, so I never had any children before Hyakkimaru. I had an apprentice once, but… I haven’t seen him in years. I hope he’s doing well for himself.”

Sagari took another persimmon from the basket and ate it whole, the juice sizzling when it dripped into the flames of their body.

“I’m sure we can find a solution, then,” they said. Jukai’s head whipped around to give the horse a horrified look.

“What? No, no, it’s fine. The last time you decided Hyakkimaru needed something I had all manner of demons parading through my house, attaching weird objects to our son!”

Sagari snorted.

“Nonsense. We have the ability to scour the land for the right candidates in mere days and bring them back here immediately. Not all of the others can leave their duties to help, but I'm sure many can be… persuaded to help.”

“Candidates? Bring them here? Sagari-sama, please don’t kidnap anyone!”

But the horse was gone before Jukai finished his sentence. He grabbed two large handfuls of his own hair and pulled his head back, yelling in frustration.

“Dad?” Hyakkimaru jogged up from the river bank. “Are you okay?”

Jukai released his hair, sighed, and handed his son a persimmon.

“Yes, I’m fine. Your aunts and uncles are simply… frustrating and difficult to understand, at times.”

“They are?” Hyakkimaru gave him a skeptical eyebrow raise as he bit into the persimmon. “I’ve never had any problems with that.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t have the benefit of having been raised by forty-eight of them. You’re a unique case in many ways.”

Hyakkimaru gave Jukai a sardonic smile and sat beside him, burrowing under his arm and leaning in close.

“Honestly, Dad, it’s humans I don’t understand sometimes.” His mouth fell into a small, familiar pout. Jukai still found it adorable. Pulling the boy in tighter, he rested his chin on the top of his head and chuckled.

“Humans are the oddest creatures of all, son. I can’t say I understand them either.”

“You don’t? But…” Hyakkimaru paused as if rethinking his words before he plowed on with them anyway. “You’re so _old!_ ”

Disembodied laughter sprang up around them as Jukai gave him a hard and punishing noogie.

 

* * *

 

Hibukuro growled at the noblewoman, sitting there in her fine cart in stark contrast with the desolate earth and the starving people around her. He pulled back his arm, ready to throw the rice cake directly into her face, but a petite hand curled around his wrist with surprising force before he could follow through.

“I wouldn’t recommend that.”

Hibukuro looked down at the hand, feminine and delicate, with long shiny fingernails. He followed the arm with his eyes until he looked into the face of the woman who held him immobile. She, too, wore the fine silks of a noblewoman, but her eyes held none of the simpering guilelessness that the woman in the cart had about her. When he tried to pull his wrist away from her grip, he found it completely immobile.

“Do not make this worse for yourself, Hibukuro, and do not put your family in danger for the sake of your pride.” The woman’s voice was hard and cold as ice. Her beautiful face spoke of how serious she was.

“Dear?” He heard Ojiya call out to him. A glance over his shoulder showed that she held Dororo securely in her arms. Good. He nodded to her and refocused on the woman holding him. He tugged harder, and her fingers clutched so tightly he felt his bones grind together. The rice cake fell from his hand.

“Were you about to attack our lady?” the guards leveled their weapons at him. “How dare you!”

Hibukuro braced himself for a fight, but he barely had time to raise his staff from the ground before the woman stepped in front of him, roughly shoving him back as though he weighed no more than a child.

“I apologize for the actions of my servant,” she said, meeting the eye of the woman in the cart. Hibukuro was too stunned at her intervention to protest her words. “I will see to it that he is properly punished. There is no need to involve yourselves in my affairs, is there?”

He shuddered when she smiled at the guards. Her teeth looked almost inhumanly sharp.

The guards must have thought so as well because they only postured with their spears to shoo them away before continuing down the road. A deafening silence stretched out between them, broken only by the droning of cicadas until Dororo broke free of Ojiya’s grasp and raced towards Hibukuro to tackle his legs in a crushing hug.

“Papa, what were you doing? Stupid! Stupid!”

Hibukuro’s shaky legs folded under him and he collapsed into a sitting position. He pulled his son into his lap, letting the scared child cry into his shoulder as he glared at the woman standing before them.

“I’m not your servant, Lady, and you’d better start explaining yourself if you don’t want blood on that nice clothing of yours.” He gripped his staff tightly, ready to swing it at her legs, but she merely gave him an unimpressed look which only served to make him angrier. He opened his mouth to yell in earnest, but Ojiya stomped on his foot.

“Dear, shut up. Now.” Ojiya sent her husband a look so withering that even he had the sense to obey her order. She approached the noblewoman with wary steps. “Thank you for your help, milady, but… who are you?”

The woman gave her an impassive stare before turning her flint-hard eyes back to Hibukuro and the child in his arms.

“I am the one who just saved your husband from a spear in his gut, and I did not do it for free.”

Hibukuro growled at her. “Lady, if you think for a second that I’m going to—”

“Didn’t I just tell you not to make things worse for yourself?” she twitched her fingers, and Hibukuro’s mouth slammed shut with a loud click of teeth meeting. He couldn’t open it. Ojiya yelped in shock.

“What have you done to him?” she demanded, rushing over to inspect her husband. Dororo whimpered and looked at the woman with wide eyes, though his arms remained firmly around his father.

“I merely made him take a moment to shut up and think before he speaks.” The woman held up a hand to inspect her pointed nails. “As I was saying; he almost got himself killed with that idiotic show of pride, and then where would you and your child be?”

Ojiya stared at her with dawning horror.

“What do you want from us? And how did you know his name?”

An unamused half-smile crossed the woman’s face.

“Of course I know who you are. Hibukuro the bandit king, now fallen into disgrace, and Ojiya, his right hand and beloved. And of course, your only surviving child.” She met Dororo’s eyes, and perhaps they imagined it, but her eyes seemed to thaw by a tiny fraction. “You have a strong will, young one. I have only met one other human whose heart surpasses yours.”

Dororo seemed to take this as a challenge because the fear left his eyes and he puffed out his cheeks in defiance.

“I’m Dororo, and I’m going to be the greatest thief in the world!” he declared. Ojiya tried to shush him, but he ducked his head away from her hand when it tried to cover his mouth. “I’m not afraid of you!”

The woman smiled and, though it still contained too many too-sharp teeth, it had a kinder, more amused air to it.

“Were your parents anyone else, I would say that your bravery is a product of your youth. As it is, I don’t foresee you growing out of it.”

Dororo didn’t seem to know whether she had insulted or complimented him. Hibukuro still couldn’t open his mouth.

“I still don’t understand,” Ojiya said. “What do you want from us?”

Hibukuro saw the grim determination on his wife’s face— the awful mix of hopelessness and willpower which had carried them through the years. He would have to trust that she would handle this.

“I have a matter with which I require your assistance. I will take you to meet someone, and he will explain what I need. After you have heard him out, I will consider your debt to me repaid, and you can decide whether to help and be paid for your services or to leave and continue on as you have— though I doubt you will last much longer if that is the route you choose.”

She was threatening them! Hibukuro growled, still unable to speak through whatever magic she had placed on him. He was beginning to see how well and truly screwed they were. There was something uncanny about this woman, something that made his instincts scream that she was a threat. What other unnatural magic would she use on them? Hopefully Dororo, at least, could find a way to escape. He shifted, preparing to stand and attack her, but Dororo wouldn’t move enough to let him.

“If we do, will you release my husband from whatever magic you’ve placed on him?” Ojiya’s voice remained steady. The woman quirked a brow at her mockingly.

“If he behaves himself, yes.”

Ojiya turned her hard glare onto her husband, and he almost recoiled at the force of it. He knew that look. That look meant he’d have to do extra groveling to earn her forgiveness for whatever idiocy he’d committed.

“He will. Won’t you, dear?”

He nodded, momentarily more scared of his wife than of the mysterious woman.

“Very well, let’s go.”

The family stood, with Ojiya helping her husband to his feet. The mysterious woman noticed his unsteady gait with a hard look.

“Hm, I will have to make a note to have the good doctor take a look at that.”

Before anyone could ask her what that meant, she disappeared. Between one blink and the next, an enormous nine-tailed fox appeared in her place. They didn’t have a chance to react before a circle of blue foxfire blazed up around the four of them, cutting off the view of their surroundings. Dororo yelped and buried his face in his mother’s knees.

When the flames died down, the fox still stood before them, but their location had changed drastically. They stood in a wide clearing, bordered by a forest on one side and a river on the other. A small, sturdy house sat behind the fox. She turned and barked loudly.

“Doctor! You have guests!”

Hibukuro wondered how her voice sounded exactly the same in either form. He also wondered if he had died after all and this was all some weird detour on the path to Hell.

A large, hairy man exited the house and, upon seeing them, began to shout at the fox.

“Mae-sama! I told Sagari-sama, don’t kidnap anyone! Humans find that extremely rude!”

“I saved the big one’s life. He owed me a debt. He’s getting off easy, getting to come here and experience your hospitality.” The fox didn’t _sound_ offended by the man’s words, though Hibukuro now understood what an incredible mistake he would have made had she let him continue to antagonize her. Perhaps she really had done him a favor. The bearded man gave the fox a long-suffering look.

“I’m not stupid enough to try to change your mind, but there’s also the fact that I haven’t prepared for human guests.” He scratched under his beard. “I should have enough rice if we stretch it with those veggies… would you be willing to go hunting?”

The fox gave the man a mocking bow and a toothy grin.

“Oh, it would be _my pleasure._ Bird, or mammal?”

“If you catch a few rabbits, I can make that stew you like.”

“I knew there was a reason I’ve kept you alive this long.” She turned, nodded at the family still standing a few feet away, and sprinted into the woods.

“You keep me alive because you don’t know anything about keeping human kids alive!” The man shouted after her in a tone that suggested that this was a well-worn argument. Barking laughter filtered out from within the trees. The man’s shoulders slumped, and he finally turned his full attention to the family in front of his house. He walked towards them with concern all over his face. “I am so sorry about this. I am Doctor Jukai. I’m sure that Mae-sama didn’t explain anything before spiriting you away, did she?”

Dororo, of course, recovered from the shock first and broke away from his parents to greet the man.

“I’m Dororo!” He didn’t bow but rather puffed out his chest with his hands on his hips, staring up at the man. “Are you really friends with a fox demon? That’s so weird!”

“Dororo!” Ojiya strode forward and put her hand down on the top of his head, forcing him to bow as she did the same. “I’m so sorry about our son. I’m Ojiya. This is my husband, Hibukuro.”

Hibukuro gave as much of a bow as he was able and made his way over to the rest of his family.

“Pleased to meet you.” The doctor had a small smile on his face, and he crouched down to look Dororo in the eye. “I wouldn’t say that we’re friends, exactly, but we do have an agreement.”

“What kind of agreement?” Dororo looked skeptical, and the doctor laughed.

“I help her with whatever she needs to know about humans and don’t question why she needs to know, and in return, she doesn’t kill me, and she helps me provide for my son.”

“Oh, okay. That’s still weird.”

Jukai laughed again, louder this time. He stood and beckoned for the family to follow him. Before he reached the house, he called out towards the riverbank. “Hyakkimaru! We have guests!”

“Coming, Dad!” a faint voice called out, and after a few moments, a figure ran into view. He was a young boy, perhaps four or five years older than Dororo, with hair just long enough to pull back into a ponytail. As he came closer, Hibukuro could make out the more uncanny details about his appearance. His eyes were a bright, unnatural orange which shone in the sunlight. His arms and legs were silvery brown and had a subtle texture much like tree bark and unlike skin. There was something about his face, perhaps the way his ears twitched, or the shape of his smile, which reminded him of the fox who had brought them here. The boy came to a stop next to the doctor.

“What were you doing?” The doctor asked as the boy brushed sand off of his wet sleeves.

“Looking for crabs.”

“You didn’t put them in your mouth, did you?”

The boy frowned and huffed.

“ _No_ . I haven’t done that since I was _six_ , Dad.”

Instead of letting the conversation devolve further down that road, the boy quickly bowed to the family and tilted his head at them.

“I’m Hyakkimaru, and this is my Dad. Are you new patients?”

“Nope!” Dororo chirped, drawing Hyakkimaru’s attention. “A big white fox brought us here, right after she saved Papa from a bunch of guys with spears! Only, she looked like a pretty lady when she did that.”

Hyakkimaru blinked at him before giving the doctor a curious look.

“Why did Aunt Mae do that?”

The doctor could only hold out his hands in a “search me” gesture.

“Why do any of your aunts and uncles do anything?” He wore the look of a man who had accepted that he would never have the answers he desired most. Hibukuro exchanged a look with Ojiya which at least assured him that she felt as lost as he did. Reaching up, the doctor adjusted his hat before speaking again. “Why don’t you show Dororo around while I get his parents up to speed? Unless you want to stay and listen.”

Hyakkimaru made a disgusted face.

“Sounds boring. No thanks. Come on, Dororo, I’ll show you where to find all the really cool bugs.”

Dororo shouted in excitement at that idea, and the boys ran off towards the riverbank. The doctor watched them go with a smile on his face.

“Forgive me. I usually have Hyakkimaru help me by distracting my patients’ children or siblings while I work. I find that it makes it easier for everyone.” He slid open the door to the house and stepped inside. “Please, come in, and you can tell me your side of the story. I’ll make tea.”

Another shared glance passed between Ojiya and Hibukuro. On the one hand, this man was on familiar terms with a demon— the same demon who had brought them here— and who even knew where “here” was, anyway?

But on the other hand, what did they have to lose? The fox had demanded that they listen to the man as part of Hibukuro’s debt to her.

Ojiya squared her shoulders, nodded, and held out her hand for her husband to take.

There was a period of awkward silence as they knelt around the fire pit, sipping the wonderfully hot tea. Hibukuro couldn’t remember the last time he’d had the chance to stop and drink a cup, and he wished he were free to relax and truly enjoy it. Unfortunately, his ingrained caution and paranoia kept him alert to any movement the doctor made. Ojiya broke the silence first, setting aside her teacup and meeting the doctor’s eyes.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Doctor. We are grateful, of course. But I still don’t understand why we’re here, and how we got here, or even where we are.”

“Please, call me Jukai.” The doctor fiddled with his empty cup. “I can likely explain better if you tell me what happened when Mae-sama showed up. She is… a force to be reckoned with.”

Hibukuro rubbed his wrist where her grip had left bruises. The doctor— Jukai— saw this and leaned forward for a better look.

“We’ll have to put a salve on that. I don’t think she realizes how frail we humans are compared to her kind.”

Hibukuro wanted to protest against accepting any such charity, but he didn’t sense any sort of pity behind the man’s motivations. He held his tongue.

“She came upon us so suddenly.” Ojiya stared at her hands, thinking back. “It was like she appeared from thin air.”

Jukai nodded as if that didn’t surprise him. Together, Ojiya and Hibukuro told him the story, starting with their encounter with the noblewoman in the cart and ending with Mae shifting into her fox form, surrounding them with a wall of flame.

“And of course, she didn’t tell you anything about what, exactly, she wanted from you.” Jukai kneaded his brow with one large hand. “It’s a bit of a long story, so please bear with me while I tell it.”

Both guests nodded.

“Eleven years ago, a demon came to me while I was picking herbs. They told me they needed my help, and when I agreed, they brought me a newborn infant. Hyakkimaru. He—” the doctor had to stop talking for a moment as his fists clenched in his hakama. He took a deep breath before spitting the words out. “His father had sold him to the forty-eight demons of the Hall of Hell in exchange for power. After each demon took a piece of his body, his father set him adrift on the river, where the demons found him again. Fate let him survive and brought him back to the demons for a reason, so they brought him to me so that we could keep him alive.

“In exchange for the body parts they stole from him, the demons made him a new body with their own powers. He is my son, and I care for him as my own, but he is also under the protection of the forty-eight demons who share his flesh. Sometimes we work together quite well, and I have found their help and knowledge invaluable in the past. Other times…”

“Things like this happen?” Ojiya asked dryly. Hibukuro felt utter disbelief warring with the events of the previous hour in his head, and his wife’s face told him she was experiencing many of the same emotions. She narrowed her eyes at the doctor, one hand clenching around her teacup and the other her husband’s hand. “Why did the demons choose you? Was it just because you’re a doctor?”

Doctor Jukai grimaced, shoulders hunching. He seemed to draw further in on himself. A long silence stretched between them, and Hibukuro was about to snap at him to just answer the question already when he spoke up.  

“That’s part of it, yes, and I happened to be in the right place at the right time.” He bit his lip and hesitated again.“But that’s not the only reason.”

Jukai’s expression was deeply haunted, as though he was no longer seeing the room around him.

“I have… done things I deeply regret. I hurt a great many people, and though I didn’t want to do it, that doesn’t change the fact that their lives ended by my hands. Many years ago, I tried to take my own life to atone, but I survived.” He looked out the open doorway as if trying to spot the children outside. “I came here to become a doctor, so I could heal instead of cause pain. I make prosthetics for those who have lost limbs to this senseless fighting. I try every day to make up for my misdeeds by healing people and raising my son as best as I can.

“Having him in my life is more of a blessing than I deserve. The demons help me to teach, care for, and provide for him, but they don’t usually approach these things like a human would.”

Jukai trailed off with a sheepish expression on his face.

“I’m afraid that it’s my fault that Mae-sama brought you here. Yesterday I was telling Sagari-sama, the demon who first approached me, that I worry about Hyakkimaru not getting to play with children his age. We are quite removed from other people, and many children find him odd, as I’m sure you can guess.” Jukai’s face morphed into one of frustrated amusement. “Anyway, that damn horse decided that they needed to find a child for Hyakkimaru to play with. I told him not to kidnap anyone, but demons don’t actually listen to humans unless it suits them. So, I apologize for the inconvenience.”

Hibukuro needed several attempts before he figured out how to make his mouth work again, and this time he could not blame demon magic for his lack of speech. Part of him wanted to lash out at this man for his admission, to demand more details. Who had he hurt? For what purpose? On _whose orders?_

But did he, the former bandit king, really have room to judge?

“You’re saying that we’re here… because your son is lonely, and Dororo is, what, an ideal playmate?”

Jukai put his face in his hands.

“It sounds horrible when you put it that way!” he lamented. “I was just trying to make a conversation, not get forty-eight demons to kidnap people!”

Hibukuro exchanged another look with his wife and reached out to pat the doctor on the shoulder. It was an uncomfortable experience for everyone involved.

“Well, none of us were harmed… And… We’ve all done things we aren’t proud of…” The words were clumsy, but he’d never pretended to be good at this.

Jukai looked hopefully at the two of them.

“Please, at least have dinner with us tonight, to make it up to you. We might have a couple of the demons joining us, but they’re really not bad company.”

Out of harm’s way, and a free meal on top of that? It wasn’t hard to figure out the sensible answer to such a proposal. Hibukuro raised an eyebrow at his wife, and she twitched a shoulder in a hint of a shrug.

“If you insist.” Ojiya smiled kindly at the doctor. He beamed back, and Hibukuro let himself relax— just a little bit.

 

* * *

 

Dororo was having more fun than he could recall ever having before. Hyakkimaru was a pretty weird kid, but that wasn't really important. The important part was that he knew where to find all sorts of cool critters by the river. He pried up a large rock to show the beetles burrowing underneath, making Dororo gasp in wonder.

“So cool!” He reached out and grabbed one, popping it into his mouth and crunching down. “Thanks!”

“Why did you just eat a bug? That's disgusting.” With the way Hyakkimaru was looking at him, one would think Dororo had just eaten poop instead of a perfectly good beetle.

“I'm hungry, and they're good. Have you ever tried one, or do you just stick with live crabs?”

“I was _six_.” Hyakkimaru set the rock back down and crossed his arms. “And no, I’m not going to eat beetles. Can’t you just wait for dinner? It’ll only be a couple more hours.”

“There’s _dinner!?_ ” Dororo jumped up and stared at Hyakkimaru with wide excited eyes. “ _Really?_ ”

Hyakkimaru blinked.

“Um… yeah, probably. If Aunt Mae brought you here, then you’re our guests.”

Dororo let out a whoop of joy. Hyakkimaru watched him bemusedly as he did a little happy dance. He was still upset about not getting to eat that rice cake earlier, but this turn of events was rapidly making up for it. He sat back down cross-legged in front of Hyakkimaru and grinned up at him.

“It must be pretty cool, having a demon for your aunt. Does that mean you’re part demon?” His gaze flicked to the older boy’s orange eyes and wooden limbs. They certainly didn’t seem like something you would find on a regular human.

“Nope, I’m a human. I’m just adopted.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that the forty-eight demons took me in and brought me to Dad when my blood father sold me to them.” Hyakkimaru grinned. “They all helped Dad replace the body parts they took as part of their deal, so now I can do a lot of cool things most humans can’t.”

“Woah!” Dororo had never heard of anything like that. “So are all forty-eight of them your uncles and aunts?” How cool would it be to have that big of a family?

Hyakkimaru nodded.

“Yeah, and they’ve been teaching me things, too.” He grabbed his left forearm in his right hand and, to Dororo’s immense shock, pulled it off to reveal a shining katana blade. “This is my Dad’s sword, but Uncle Nihil is inside it, and he helps me get better at sword fighting.”

Dororo leaned forward and traced a cautious hand over the blade’s spine and inscription.

“What does it say?”

“Hyakkimaru.”

“You’re named after a sword?” Dororo gaped at him. “That’s so _cool!_ You know, this looks like it could be one of those legendary blades. I bet it’s valuable.”

“I dunno. It was Dad’s, but he gave it to me, and Uncle Nihil possessed it. He’s in there now, but I think he’s sleeping.”

Dororo pulled his hand away from the blade.

“Oh. Uh… hi?” He reached out and took Hyakkimaru’s discarded forearm and began turning it around, inspecting it and poking at the digits. “Can you feel this? Is it made out of wood? Where are the joints?”

“I can only feel it when it’s attached to the rest of me. My aunt Jubokko, a Sakura tree, grew them for me when I was a baby. They’re attached to my bones.”

Dororo sat back and considered Hyakkimaru. He looked really weird, and now that Dororo thought about it, it was probably dangerous to be around someone who had so much contact with demons, to the point where one lived in a sword in his arm. As he thought, Hyakkimaru took back his forearm and slid it over the sword.

“Do you have a possessed sword in your other arm, too?” Dororo asked. Hyakkimaru pulled back his right arm enough to show the glint of steel before sliding it back down.

“No, it’s just a regular sword.”

“ _Two swords?_ That’s totally not fair. You’d better watch your back because I just made up my mind to steal one.” Dororo pointed at Hyakkimaru in warning, paused, and amended his statement. “Well, I’ll steal the one without a demon in it.”

“You can certainly try,” Hyakkimaru smirked. “How long are you going to stick around? I need to know how long to keep my guard up.”

Dororo faltered, his hand and face falling as he thought about it.

“I… don’t know. We’ve been traveling for so long, and I don’t know where we’re traveling to. We usually get kicked out of places if we try to stay.”

He was tired of walking, trying to find somewhere with food and shelter and always failing. He remembered the days when his mother still managed to steal enough money from rich people that they could at least eat once a day. Sometimes he wondered if he’d been a bad person in his last life, to have been born to this.

“Dad would never kick anyone out. He’s a doctor, and doctors have to help people.” Hyakkimaru interrupted the dark turn Dororo’s thoughts had taken. “Sometimes my uncles and aunts and I have to chase off people and other demons who want to hurt us, but I don’t think you’re like that, are you? Do you want to hurt me or my Dad?”

“No!” Dororo shouted, standing again and finding his face level with Hyakkimaru’s. “The only ones I want to hurt are the samurai lords. They’re the reason we have to live like this! That’s why I need a sword.”

Hyakkimaru nodded, a satisfied smile on his face.

“I have no love for the samurai either. Aunt Mae tells me that my birth father was one.”

“The one who sold you to demons? Why would he do that to you?”

“Why do the samurai do anything? He wanted power.” Hyakkimaru closed his eyes and sighed. “I don’t know who he is, and I don’t care. I have a better family.”

Dororo knew that his Papa would never do anything like that to him. He couldn’t understand someone doing that to their own family— wasn’t family supposed to be the most important thing? Hyakkimaru stood and brushed the sand off of his butt.

“C’mon, let’s wade a little. It’s too hot out here. I’ll show you where the crabs hide.” He removed his kimono and folded it, placing it on the rock. Dororo crossed his arms.

“I don’t want to. I’ll keep my clothes on, thanks.”

Hyakkimaru gave him a questioning head tilt.

“You… don’t have to take off your clothes. I just don’t like mine being wet. The water’s really nice, though.”

Dororo hesitated. The river was clear and tempting, and it _was_ pretty hot out in the late afternoon sun.

“Well, that’s ok then. Show me.”

When Jukai finally called them back to the house a couple of hours later for dinner, both boys were soaked through, with Hyakkimaru’s kimono an unfortunate casualty of their splash war. They dripped their way up to the front door, but Jukai made them wait while he fetched something for them to dry off with.

“Dororo, you’re soaked! What happened?” Ojiya rushed over to fret at her son, who grinned up at her.

“We had a splash fight, mama!” he shoved his sopping bangs out of his eyes. “I totally won.”

“You cheated, you mean.” Hyakkimaru grinned down at him and gave him a gentle punch to the shoulder. “I’ll get you back next time.”

Dinner was mostly silent aside from the noises Dororo made while enjoying his meal. Jukai handed out bowls of rabbit stew to everyone, including the fox and a hairy turtle, who had decided to join them for the evening.

“Make sure you let it cool down before you eat it,” he reminded Hyakkimaru. The boy scowled.

“I know, dad.”

“He’s so sensitive to heat. He has a cat’s tongue.”

No one had the courage to ask if he meant that literally or not.

“Dororo, sweetie, slow down. You’ll make yourself sick,” Ojiya scolded as Dororo inhaled his stew. He gave her a sheepish look but only slowed down eating by a little bit. The best part of the night was when the doctor let them all have a second helping, claiming that the turtle wasn’t allowed to have one unless everyone else did. The turtle whined loudly about it until the fox used a foreleg to shove his head back into his shell, which gave him something else to whine about.

Warm, comfortable, and with a full stomach for the first time in forever, Dororo curled up in his mama’s lap and fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

Hyakkimaru watched Dororo sleep on Ojiya’s lap as the adults talked quietly. Aunt Mae still hadn’t explained why she had brought the family, although he guessed it had something to do with Hibukuro’s limp. He hoped that his dad could find some way to help the other man. It seemed like the family had a rough life.

He’d enjoyed having another human closer to his age to spend time with today. It had been especially nice that Dororo didn’t seem to be scared of him like so many other children he’d met were. Hyakkimaru tried to act normal around his dad’s patients, but he couldn’t hide his limbs, or his eyes, or the fact that being raised by demons made him see the world in a very different way from other humans.

It got lonely, sometimes.

He scooted over to sit next to the two demons in the room. Aunt Mae allowed him to lean against her massive furry side and stroke behind her ears. Minogame, jealous of the attention, placed his head on Hyakkimaru’s leg with a thump and glared up at him until he received scratches on the leathery folds of his neck.

“Aunt Mae.” Hyakkimaru kept his voice low so that the parents in the room wouldn’t hear him over their own conversation. “What are you planning?”

Aunt Mae made a low, considering sound and cracked open one golden eye to gaze at him.

“What makes you think I would tell you? That would take the fun out of it.” Her lips curled up at the edges, just a little. “I can only assure you that neither you nor your guests will come to any harm due to my scheming.”

“I guess that’s all I can ask.” Hyakkimaru sighed and leaned further into the warm white fur. “It was nice having another human to talk to today…”

He trailed off, tired and not feeling the need for further conversation. With the keen hearing Aunt Mae had given him, he easily picked up on the conversation happening across the room.

“He’s six, as of last winter. It’s a miracle he survived this long. Our two eldest…”

“We used to be farmers. When we lost the farm to samurai, we became bandits. We lost that too. Now we’re just vagrants.”

“Does he remember?” Jukai’s voice held no pity— only understanding and compassion.

“No. He was an infant when our friend betrayed us to the samurai. He’s grown up on the road.”

“That sounds like a hard way to grow up.”

“He’s strong and stubborn enough for anything, and he likes to cause trouble. He takes after his father that way.”

“Ojiya…”

A small, tittering laugh floated over from the group, and Ojiya’s voice was fond when she spoke again.

“We were surprised when he told us in no uncertain terms that he’s a boy, but once he makes up his mind about something, it’s set.”

“He gets that from his mother.”

“Children are incredible, with how resilient they are,” Jukai murmured. “Sometimes I wonder if it makes me a bad person, how grateful I am that Hyakkimaru came to me, despite the circumstances.”

“I think that just makes you a father.”

Hyakkimaru drifted to sleep against Aunt Mae’s shoulder, a turtle on his lap and his dad’s low voice in the background.

 

* * *

 

Jukai made them a good breakfast of kayu and eggs the next morning before asking Hyakkimaru to come with him so he could take a look at his arms. This had long been a code between them for when Jukai wished to discuss something with his son but didn’t want others to overhear, so Hyakkimaru followed him into the clinic area of the house and shut the door. He waited for his dad to speak.

“What do you think of our guests?”

Hyakkimaru thought about it.

“I… well, I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to Hibukuro and Ojiya, but I had fun with Dororo yesterday. He’s a little annoying, but he wasn’t scared of me. And he appreciates cool bugs.”

Jukai smiled and reached out to pat the top of his head.

“Well, that’s good, because I was thinking that they should stay a while longer. Mae-sama clearly had some motive for bringing them, and anyway, I’m loathe to let them go before I’ve taken a look at Hibukuro’s legs and fed them a little more. Dororo is far too small for a child his age.”

None of this surprised Hyakkimaru, so he reached out and pulled his dad into a hug.

“You’re so much kinder than most humans deserve, Dad,” he said into Jukai’s chest. “Now you just need to convince them to stay.”

“I’ll try convincing the parents.” Jukai’s voice was a little watery and he wiped his eye. Hyakkimaru noticed this and frowned. He clearly still had to work on getting his dad to believe him when he said things like that. “But if you can convince Dororo, they’ll have no choice.”

Hyakkimaru pulled away and smiled up at him, heading back to the door separating the clinic from the living area.

“You got it, Dad.”

He walked over to Dororo and poked him in the shoulder. The boy looked up from his kayu, his annoyance at having his meal interrupted clear across his face.

“When you’re finished, you wanna come and help me with sword training? We have a few bokken we can use.” Hyakkimaru jabbed a thumb in the direction of the door. Dororo’s face lit up, and he turned to his mother with wide, pleading eyes.

“Can I, Mama? Please?”

Ojiya looked apprehensive. Dororo leaned in towards her with the full force of his puppy eyes.

“I’ll be careful, Mama, I promise!”

“Let him do it, Ojiya.” Hibukuro put a large hand on his wife’s shoulder. “It will be good for him to learn a thing or two about defending himself.”

Ojiya reluctantly nodded, making Dororo whoop in joy and down the last of his breakfast in record time. He nearly tugged Hyakkimaru’s arm off as he dragged him outside, almost forgetting to let him grab the bokken in his haste.

Hyakkimaru ran him through the most basic kata, Nihil whispering suggestions in his mind. Dororo was clumsy with the weapon at first because the bokken was heavy and nearly as long as he was tall. As he got into the rhythm of the movements, he grew more confident, until Hyakkimaru could push him to run through the kata at nearly the same pace Hyakkimaru normally used. By the time they finished, Dororo was panting, sweaty, and grinning.

“This is fun! How long do I have to practice before I can beat up samurai?”

Nihil laughed in Hyakkimaru’s head.

_I like his spirit. He’s going to get himself killed, but I like him. You should lend me to him._

_No, Nihil, please don’t._ Hyakkimaru groaned internally. The idea of Nihil possessing Dororo and going on a rampage was all too easy to imagine. _At least, not until we learn what Aunt Mae has planned for him._

Nihil made a disappointed noise and retreated back into his blade.

“Dororo, samurai train their whole lives to kill. You need more than just a few hours to match them.” Hyakkimaru thought of the stories his dad’s patients brought, of samurai roaming the streets, taking food from the common people and testing their swords on anyone close enough. He thought of what the demons had told him of the ongoing wars between clans, with thousands of innocents caught in between. Dororo may be cunning and quick to learn, but he’d never survive a head-on fight.

“Well, you’ll just have to train me more! And give me a real sword!” Dororo clutched the bokken and smiled mischievously up at Hyakkimaru. “You’re training with a sword demon, aren’t you? I bet you know all the best tricks.”

Hyakkimaru studied the young boy in front of him and thought about that.

“Is that what you want?” he asked. “Do you want to stay here and train with me?”

“Well, duh!” Dororo’s shoulders slumped and he dropped his gaze to study the handle of the bokken. There was a loose thread on the tsuka-ito which he picked at. “Only, I probably can’t. Mama and Papa never stay anywhere for long.”

“Do you think we can convince them?” Hyakkimaru asked, thinking about how Aunt Bandai could persuade someone that the idea she’d suggested had been theirs all along. He wished he had even a little of that skill, but he tended towards brutal honesty as a default. “It would be nice to have a friend around. For a little while.”

Dororo brightened again.

“I’ve never had a friend before!” he dropped the bokken and rushed forward to hug Hyakkimaru around the tops of his thighs, which was as high as he could reach. Hyakkimaru cautiously patted the top of his head. If Dororo’s family did stay, it could take some getting used to.

 

* * *

 

Ojiya watched Dororo from the doorway as he followed the doctor’s son through their sword exercises. It still made her nervous, but the older boy managed to be cautious enough with his strikes that she felt her worry ease. Her heart squeezed in her chest when she saw the smile on her son’s face and the hug he sprung on Hyakkimaru. Had Dororo ever been this happy before?

She wished she could preserve that happiness but could think of no way to do so. They would have to leave soon if they didn’t wish to overstay their welcome. Even if a fox demon straight from legend had brought them, Jukai had made it clear that he hadn’t planned for or wanted them to come. A short respite was all this visit had been.

Hibukuro limped to her side and placed a large, warm hand on her shoulder. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes.

“It’s good to see Dororo so happy,” she said. Hibukuro hummed in agreement, leaning over to place a kiss on the back of her neck. She tilted her head to look him in the eye. “I’m still mad at you for almost getting killed yesterday, just so you know. We need you. I need you.”

“Sometimes I wonder if I’m not simply slowing you down.” He ducked his head in apology.

Behind them, Jukai cleared his throat.

“I don’t mean to pry,” he said, looking sheepish, “But I wonder if perhaps I can help. It would be irresponsible of me to let you leave without at least taking a look.”

“It’s an old injury.” Hibukuro grimaced. “There’s not likely anything you can do. And we couldn’t pay you even if we did.”

“You know, almost none of my clients pay with money, and there’s always plenty of work to be done around here. Gathering herbs, finding the right wood to carve, chopping firewood… and that’s all on top of treating my patients.” Jukai smiled warmly. “I’m no stranger to trades and barters, my friend. And there’s always Mae-sama’s plot to consider. I find that directly disobeying her ends poorly.”

Ojiya could feel Hibukuro bristling into a fit of defensive anger, so she stepped between the two men and bowed to the doctor.

“We appreciate the offer, but… we cannot simply accept charity, or being forced to stay at the will of a demon. In the end, all we have left to us is our pride.” She looked over her shoulder to where Dororo and Hyakkimaru wrestled on the grass. “Our pride, and our son.”

“I understand that, and I don’t mean it as charity. I told you, I have many things to atone for, and I do that by helping anyone I can and by keeping my son alive and happy.” The doctor gestured vaguely towards the open door. “If you won’t stay for your own sakes, please do it for mine, and that of our sons?”

Ojiya bit her lip and looked between Hibukuro’s face of wounded pride and Dororo playing out in the field. When she met her husband’s eye again, she nodded. His frown deepened, but he nodded back. She turned to face Jukai and the hopeful expression on his face.

“Very well. We humbly accept your hospitality,” she said. The relief which passed across the man’s face matched the feeling in her own chest— the easing of a burden she’d almost forgot was there. “But we will earn our keep.”

Behind her, Hibukuro grunted in agreement.

“Well, I suppose I’d better go tell the boys the good news.” Jukai headed for the door, but paused and gave them both a helpless grin. “You know, it’s not so bad, living with demons. Tamamo no Mae has centuries of experience, so some of her schemes and advice even turn out well.”

He left the house and the bemused couple inside.

“Dear, were we really kidnapped by _the_ Tamamo no Mae?” Ojiya asked, voice weak.

“I have no idea. I thought she was killed centuries ago when she caused a civil war.”

Ojiya sighed. Fate was clearly not done fucking with them.

Meanwhile, Jukai found the boys roughhousing on the grass. Hyakkimaru was going easy on Dororo, who, though determined and quick, was still only a malnourished six-year-old. Dororo currently struggled to break free of the hold Hyakkimaru had him in, laughing and trying to elbow him in the side.

“Say it, brat!” Hyakkimaru demanded, fingers tickling along Dororo’s ribs. Dororo shrieked out a laugh.

“I’ll never surrender!” He reared his head back and slammed it into Hyakkimaru’s collarbone, which did precisely nothing to make the older boy release him.

“I thought you were sword training?” Jukai eyed the discarded bokken some distance away. Hyakkimaru had the decency to look abashed.

“We were, but then Dororo said that I was only good at fighting because of Nihil, so I had to show him that he was wrong.”

“He’s cheating, and he has two swords! He should share!”

Jukai laughed quietly and shook his head.

“You’ll have plenty of time to sort it out, you two. Dororo, your parents have agreed to stay for as long as it takes me to try to treat your father’s leg injuries. Sorry, Hyakkimaru, it looks like you’re not an only child anymore.” He and his son shared a knowing smile while Dororo cheered.

“You hear that? Now you _have to_ teach me more sword stuff!”

Hyakkimaru relaxed his hold on the little urchin and shook his head fondly. Dororo leapt out of his arms and ran back to the house, shouting excitedly the entire way. Jukai watched him go until movement in his peripheral vision caught his eye. There, just inside the trees, he saw Sagari and Tamamo no Mae giving him triumphant looks. Of course. Sometimes he hated it when the demons’ plans worked out because they were always so damned _smug_ about everything. He ignored them, helped Hyakkimaru to his feet, and bee-lined his way into his clinic. He had work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No new demons show up in this chapter! However, here is some folklore for you:  
> Tamamo no Mae is an ancient spirit with many reincarnations across Japan, China, and India. She eventually became the consort of Emperor Toba, after which he became ill because she was draining his life force. she was revealed as a kitsune, hunted down, and killed. However, ["One year after she died, Emperor Konoe died, heirless. The following year, her lover and former Emperor Toba died as well. A succession crisis ignited between forces loyal to Emperor Go-Shirakawa and forces loyal to former Emperor Sutoku. This crisis started the Fujiwara-Minamoto rivalry that led to the Genpei War, the end of the Heian period, and the rise of the first shoguns."](http://yokai.com/tamamonomae/) This means that Tamamo no Mae is, essentially responsible for the political landscape which led Daigo Kagemitsu to sell his son for power.
> 
> [Fetuscakes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fetuscakes) outdid themself again with beta reading and helped me with Hibukuro's characterization to make sure I didn't accidentally Nerf his sheer awesomeness. Thanks, friend! Please go check out their fic for this fandom, they're very talented.


	6. Existential Nihil-ism

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Nihil's turn to kidnap a human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've received a lot of great suggestions in the comments, and I'm trying to incorporate my favorites. An anonymous commenter suggested that, since Hyakkimaru has owl eyes, he shouldn't be able to move them within the socket. this is just such a great idea and adds to the uncanny valley, so I've gone back and edited what I have written to incorporate it. Thanks!
> 
> This chapter was a lot of fun because I absolutely LOVE outsider POV fics.

Hyakkimaru was sparring with Dororo when Nihil spoke up, calling them to a halt.

_ Kid, I feel something. There’s a sword out there, calling to me. Loudly. _

Hyakkimaru had never heard Nihil so excited before. He raised his left arm, sword covered by his forearm, and raised an eyebrow at it.

“What do you mean, it’s calling to you?” he asked.

_ I mean that this sword just spilled a lot of innocent blood, and its wielder's heart is a maelstrom of uncertainty. I need to go check it out. _

“You’ll come back, won’t you? Once you find out what it is?” Hyakkimaru frowned. Nihil’s words worried him; the sword spirit had never sounded so apprehensive or excited about a battle before. Whatever was happening, it was clearly worse than a normal skirmish between armies.

_ Of course I will. You still need a lot more training to become even remotely competent. _

And like the wind, he was gone, leaving a blank spot in the back of Hyakkimaru’s mind that he hadn’t noticed being filled before. He frowned at the blade under his arm.

“Aniki?” Dororo asked, lowering his bokken and coming closer. “Were you talking to Nihil? It sounded like he left.”

Hyakkimaru nodded and lowered the bokken he still held aloft in his right hand.

“Yeah, but he said some weird things first. Usually, when he leaves, he goes to live in other swords that are in a battle, because he still needs to drink blood. He’s never talked about a sword specifically calling to him before, though.” He scratched the back of his head in confusion.

“So does that mean practice time is over?” Dororo pouted. Hyakkimaru gave him a rueful smile.

“I think so, for today. But even if he isn’t back tomorrow, we’ll still spar.”

Dororo shrugged and began walking backward towards the house.

“Do you think you should tell your Dad about this? You know how he gets about the demons springing things on him.” Dororo’s face cracked into a huge grin. “Remember when Aunt Maimai showed up and shoved those triplets into his and Mama and Papa’s arms? I thought that vein in his forehead would burst!”

Hyakkimaru laughed and agreed that, yes, they should probably keep their parents informed about this. It may turn out to be nothing, but he’d rather not get in trouble for keeping secrets.

In front of the house, Ojiya wielded an axe with power and grace as she chopped firewood. She smiled at them as they approached, sinking the blade into the chopping block and wiping sweat from her forehead with the back of her arm. Holding her arms out expectantly, she hugged both boys tightly in greeting.

“Done already?” she asked.

“Nihil had to leave.” Hyakkimaru made a dissatisfied face. “He sounded like it was urgent. I was about to go tell Dad about it, do you know where he and Papa are?”

Ojiya clucked her tongue and led them towards the clinic entrance of the house.

“Hibukuro’s over in the garden. I swear, he talks to those plants as if they were his children.”

“We’re his children!” Dororo frowned up at her. She laughed and squeezed his shoulder.

“Yes, of course. I meant,  _ also _ his children.” She shared a commiserating look with Hyakkimaru. “Jukai is treating old Fujimoto-san. He snapped his prosthetic foot clean off at the ankle joint when he slipped in the river.”

Both boys winced.

“Maybe we should wait until he’s done with that.” Hyakkimaru remembered the last time he’d met the old man, and it wasn’t a pleasant memory. “Let’s go help Papa in the garden.”

He might hate weeding, but it was better than having to nod politely while a cranky old man shouted at him about all the reasons why he wasn’t respectful enough of his elders.

“Why, Hyakkimaru, are you scared of Fujimoto-san? I didn’t think I’d see the day!” Ojiya teased gently. Dororo cackled at the expression on his face.

“Mama…” he whined, hiding his face in his hands.

“Ojiya, are you teasing the boy?” Hibukuro’s gruff voice sounded from around the corner.

“Mm, only a little.”

The large man was barely visible through the lush vegetable and herb plants he knelt between. Ojiya stopped in front of him and bent down to give him a sweet kiss, causing both boys to look away and gag in disgust.

“There are children present!” Dororo protested, a hand clapped over his eyes. “Won’t anyone think of the children?”

“Hyakkimaru’s almost thirteen! He’s old enough to know about such things!” Hibukuro’s laugh only made Hyakkimaru blush and Dororo scowl harder.

“I can’t believe my own parents like you better. Give them back!” He pointed an accusing finger at Hyakkimaru, who crossed his arms and jutted his chin out.

“And just whose idea was it to share parents, hm? I seem to recall you saying that it was a shame I didn’t have a mother, and you’d let me share yours if I wanted.”

“Well, I was seven. Seven-year-olds are dumb.”

“You’re only eight now!”

The argument devolved, as they so often did, into a wrestling match between the two. Hyakkimaru had the size and strength advantage, but Dororo fought dirty— there were several scarred teeth marks on the bark of the older boy’s arms as proof of that. The adults watched with fond exasperation.

“Boys, didn’t you have something important to tell us about?” Ojiya asked once Hyakkimaru had Dororo in a headlock. They both relaxed, expressions turning sheepish.

“Yeah, but…” Hyakkimaru turned his head and eyed the house warily.

“I just spotted Fujimoto-san leaving while you two were fighting. He looked extremely taken aback at you two, I must say.” Ojiya’s smile still held a hint of teasing, but it was kindly meant.

Hyakkimaru gave her a grateful smile. He released Dororo, standing and helping his brother to his feet. Ojiya did the same for her husband. He still leaned heavily on a cane, but he had a much easier time walking than he had before Jukai had located and removed the arrowheads left in his thighs.

The whole family was happier and healthier than they had been when they showed up two years previously. The adults’ eyes had lost some of their haunted appearances, and Dororo had finally hit a growth spurt. Hyakkimaru felt that he was better off as well, having a brother to share secrets with and two more human parents to turn to for advice. The fact that Hibukuro’s advice usually boiled down to “stab it” was beside the point.

Maybe they hadn’t intended to stay at first. He remembered how ready Ojiya had looked to grab her son and husband and drag them away if she had to. After two years, though, there was no point in pretending that any of this was temporary. 

Jukai sat at his work table, frowning at a broken prosthetic leg and poking at the splinters of the ankle joint. He smiled and raised an eyebrow when he saw them enter, setting aside his chisel.

“What brings everyone in here? Is one of the demons causing trouble again?” He didn’t look overly concerned, though he crossed his arms and frowned thoughtfully after Hyakkimaru recapped what had happened during his and Dororo’s spar. Hyakkimaru could tell that Nihil’s disappearance caused the adults some concern, but didn’t have any other information for them.

“I’m still not used to all this demon business,” Ojiya admitted, “But I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see what comes of it. It could be that we’re all worried over nothing important.”

No one looked convinced, but as she had put forth the only option they had, they agreed regardless.

Two weeks later, a young man in bloodstained samurai armor collapsed at their doorstep, clutching a shining katana.

 

* * *

 

There were angry voices around him, interrupting his sleep. That wasn’t exactly a new experience after enlisting, but the way that his head throbbed with each word was. The voices, two male and one female, seemed to argue over something he couldn’t decipher.

“We should just kill him now! He’s a samurai! They only bring trouble.”

“If Nihil brought him here, there must have been a reason for it. We need to find out why before we do anything rash.”

Nihil… wasn’t that his sword? It had told him that name when he finished killing the builders, just before it urged him to kill that fat, ungrateful lord who had forced him to do so in the first place.

“Dear, you need to calm down. Jukai is right.”

There was an answering growl and the sound of heavy, unsteady footsteps leaving the room.

_ Wake up. _

That was Nihil’s voice, wasn’t it? He couldn’t feel the sword in his hand, but then again, he couldn’t feel much of anything at the moment.

_ I told you to wake up. _

He tried to push the voice away and return to the dreamlike haze, but he could feel himself floating closer to consciousness.

_ Tanosuke. Don’t make me stab you. _

Tanosuke groaned in protest of the threat, and the voices quieted. Well, he was conscious now. He may as well…

Opening his eyes was an immense effort, but he managed to pry the lids apart to catch sight of a large, worried-looking beard.

Maybe he was still dreaming.

“Good, you’re awake,” the beard said. “Can you tell me your name, son? Nihil hasn’t been very forthcoming.”

Tanosuke’s eyes widened a little more at the mention of his sword. His eyes darted around what he could see of the room, which mostly consisted of the ceiling and the man to whom the beard belonged. He thought about trying to sit up, but his throbbing head protested at the mere idea. He licked his dry lips and tried to clear his phlegmy throat.

“Ta— Tanosuke.”

The bearded man nodded, and a woman appeared above him to lift his head and help him sip from a cup of water.

“He’s still feverish, but it’s getting better.” Her face was impassive as she spoke to the man.

“What…” He had a lot of questions, but he couldn’t figure out how to word them. “How did…”

_ I brought you here. They don’t like samurai, but the guy with the beard is a doctor, so if you don’t piss him off he won’t kill you. _

“Nihil?” Tanosuke’s voice came out in a croak. The bearded man— doctor— nodded.

“The sword is in a safe place, but you must understand that we can’t give it back to you. You’re far too weak to handle the influence of a demon that powerful.”

Tanosuke wanted to protest, but he was far too tired. His whole body felt like lead.

“How did I… get here?” He finally managed to unstick his tongue enough to force out the sentence. He couldn't remember much of what happened after killing the lord of that castle.

“You don't remember? My sons found you collapsed outside our house.”

Tanosuke tried to shake his head, but the motion sent a jolt of agony spiking behind his eyes.

“Nn… no, the sword took over… after…” he swallowed, trying to get his dry throat to work. The woman helped him drink another few sips. He grimaced.

“After what?” The doctor’s words gently prompted him, but he could feel himself slipping back towards unconsciousness. Something else nagged at him. Something more important.

“Where is Osushi? Is she okay?”

“I'm sorry, Tanosuke, I don't know who that is.” The doctor sounded genuinely apologetic. Tanosuke heard himself make a desperate noise.

“My sister. Is my sister safe?” He reached out a shaky hand and tried to grab the doctor's. The woman standing nearby tensed and took in a sharp breath, but he didn't pay her any mind. “She was only a girl when I left…”

The doctor took his hand and laid it back down, giving him a firm pat on the shoulder.

“You need to rest, young man. You can check on your sister once you've recovered.”

Tanosuke nodded, though it hurt to do so. He let himself fall back into unconsciousness and dreamed of seeing his family again.

 

* * *

 

“What's going on?” Hyakkimaru asked Jukai when he and Ojiya exited the clinic and came into the living area. They both looked troubled, and Ojiya had a mulish, angry look to her.

“He's a soldier, all right.” She sat down heavily next to her husband. “He says Nihil took control of his body but didn't say why.”

_ Well, I had to get back here, didn't I? _

Hyakkimaru looked down at his left arm where the spirit once again resided. Nihil had spoken to the whole room, so he answered aloud.

“Why didn't you just transfer back into my arm like you usually do? Why bring him?”

_ Oh, that's easy. That sword he had, that I took over? It's powerful now. _ He sounded smug.  _ It was dull and rusty, but then it sucked up the blood of innocents and it transformed. You don't want a samurai lord getting his hands on something with that kind of blood magic, do you? _

“That boy killed innocent people? Why? And how many?” Ojiya's muscles were tensed as if preparing to go back into the other room and slit his throat herself.

_ You'll have to get that story from him. I'm afraid I only got there after the deed was done. I did convince him to kill the lord who made him do it, though, so at least he's not a complete toady. _

“Or maybe he's just willing to kill anyone he doesn't like,” Hibukuro growled. He placed a hand on Ojiya's shoulder, though, which seemed to ground her. Jukai cleared his throat.

“I'm afraid we need more information before we leap to conclusions, and our best source is still recovering from Nihil's influence. What did you do to him, anyway?”

Nihil sent out the mental feeling of a shrug through the entire room.

_ I overestimated him. I'm so used to how powerful this kid's mind is, I forgot that most humans are pathetically weak to my influence. I barely suggested that he come here and he walked for two weeks straight without stopping. _

Jukai put his head in his hands and sighed heavily.

“No wonder he's so worn out…” he groaned. “Nihil, humans aren't built for that! Why didn't you stop him?”

_ It didn't seem important. _

“Wait, isn't it a good thing that he killed a samurai lord who made him kill people?” Dororo scratched his head in confusion. “I mean, now there's one less of them in the world.”

“Yes, but what really matters is why.” Hibukuro frowned. “If he did it just for the sake of killing, then he's no better than the lord he killed.”

“And if he had a different reason?” Hyakkimaru's head turned back and forth as he looked between the faces of the adults in the room. “What then?”

“We’ll have to wait and see when he wakes up,” Ojiya said with a sigh. “Then we can decide what to do with him.”

 

* * *

 

When Tanosuke woke again, his head felt far clearer and less like he had heated nails rattling on the inside of his skull. He cautiously opened his eyes. The lighting in the room was low, and he realized he was on a thin futon covering a wooden floor. Nearby there was a table covered in wood shavings and chisels, along with a few… were those wooden arms and legs? He sat up and squinted at them.

Yep. Those were definitely wooden arms and legs.

He looked around the room a little more, straining to see in the light of the one dim oil lamp. In one corner a pair of green lights shone. As he leaned forward to try to see what they were, they blinked. Tanosuke yelped before slamming a hand over his mouth.

“Shh!” the lights scolded, coming closer. “You’re gonna wake my whole family!”

The lights resolved into two glowing eyes set inside a young human face as the owner approached and sat seiza in front of him. Tanosuke whimpered. Was this a demon, coming to drag him to hell?

“Are you in pain?”

The voice sounded concerned. Tanosuke forced his shoulders to stop shaking and lowered his hand, taking a good look at the figure in front of him. He looked like a teenage boy, but he had an air about him which didn’t seem quite human. The pupils of his eyes were what reflected the lamplight to give off that eerie green glow, but the irises were a bright orange discernible even in the low lighting. His face, though framed in long dark hair and cute in a boyish way, had something wild lurking in it, something hungry and cunning. Concern mixed with an assessing curiosity filled the boy’s expression. The eyes didn’t move in their sockets as he tilted his head at Tanosuke.

The soldier realized that he was waiting for an answer to his question.

“No, I’m fine. Thanks… um…”

“Hyakkimaru,” the boy said, looking relieved. “Your name is Tanosuke, right? Dad said that’s what you told him— he’s the doctor, by the way.”

Tanosuke nodded. The boy— Hyakkimaru— raised a hand to place his wrist against Tanosuke’s forehead. He flinched at the feeling of smooth tree bark instead of skin. Hyakkimaru pulled away, frowning a little. Tanosuke noticed belatedly that his arms and legs were all a silvery brown color with a faint texture. More wooden limbs?

“Dad said you might still have a fever, but it doesn’t feel like it. You met him and Mama earlier, but I don’t know if you remember that.” He cocked his head, so Tanosuke nodded to indicate that he did— vaguely. Hyakkimaru smiled a little. “Good. Well, they’re in the other room with Papa and my brother, so I volunteered to watch in case you woke up and needed something because I don’t need as much sleep.”

There was too much in that sentence for Tanosuke’s tired brain to unpack, so he decided to just save it for when he didn’t feel ten kinds of exhausted.

“Is there any water?” He asked instead. Hyakkimaru stood and grabbed a pitcher of water and a cup from amidst the wood shavings on the table. Tanosuke gratefully accepted the cup and sipped the water, conscious of the need to drink it slowly.

“You’re probably hungry too. There’s some kayu, although it might be a little congealed now…”

Tanosuke accepted the food. The boy was quiet while he ate, not bothering to hide that he was studying Tanosuke. He wiped at his mouth self-consciously, wondering why this little teenager was making him so nervous.

“Dad said you mentioned a sister?” Hyakkimaru shifted a little, tilting his head yet again. Tanosuke realized that maybe the kid was uncomfortable with the situation as well. That made him feel a little better.

“Yes, my younger sister. Her name is Osushi.” He frowned into his bowl. “She’s all the family I have left.”

“I have a little brother. He’s an annoying brat, and sometimes I want to hit him with a tree, but I’d do anything to keep him safe.”

Tanosuke smiled a little at the familiar “long-suffering older sibling” tone.

“When we were younger, the only way to get her to stop crying when she was upset was for me to fold her a paper crane.”

Hyakkimaru straightened in interest.

“Will you show me?” At that moment, he looked so much like a regular kid that Tanosuke couldn’t refuse. Hyakkimaru found and cut up a sheet of rice paper, and they practiced making cranes while they swapped stories about their respective siblings. Hyakkimaru had trouble getting the positions of the folds correct at first, and Tanosuke privately wondered if his wooden hands had the dexterity needed for origami. It only took about five tries before he got the hang of it, though.

“I still don’t understand how I got here…” Tanosuke muttered a little later, during a lull in their low conversation. “The last thing I remember, I was at the castle…”

“Nihil possessed you.”

Hyakkimaru’s face was perfectly serious. Tanosuke gaped at him.

“What? The sword? And how do you know about that?”

“He told me.” For some reason, the boy held up his left arm. “He left about two weeks ago when he felt your sword calling him.”

“What… what does that mean?” Tanosuke felt a headache in his immediate future.

“Well, he’s a tsukumogami, right? But he’s so powerful that he can transfer between swords, and he needs to drink blood, so he goes off and joins battles every once in a while.” Hyakkimaru shrugged, as if this was a normal conversation topic, and  _ pulled his left forearm off. _ Tanosuke flailed and fell backward. The kid had a  _ sword _ in his  _ arm _ . Hyakkimaru gave him a sardonic little smile. “Nihil usually lives in here. He’s been training me to use a sword since I was six.”

“You  _ let _ him possess you?” Tanosuke gaped. The teenager shook his head as he slid his forearm back on over the sword, wiggling the fingers a few times.

“No, he just… guides me, I guess? But he’s used to how much force to use to get into my head, so he accidentally used too much force on you. I think he’s embarrassed about it because he’s been sulking.”

_ Have not. _

Tanosuke, who had managed to get over his shock enough to lever himself up onto his elbows, fell back again at the disembodied voice.

“Uncle Nihil, be nice.” Hyakkimaru glowered at his arm. Tanosuke squeezed his eyes shut and pressed a hand to his forehead. There was that headache.

“Uncle?” he croaked out. Hyakkimaru made a noise of agreement.

“He and the rest of the forty-eight demons of the Hall of hell are my aunts and uncles. They helped Dad raise me.”

“Are you a demon too, then?” Tanosuke stared at the boy, wondering if his initial assessment had been accurate after all. Hyakkimaru shook his head and grinned. Something about that grin reminded Tanosuke of a fox.

“No, I’m human. I’m just adopted.” He stood and cleared away the dishes and paper, setting them all on the work table. “You should probably go back to sleep. In the morning you can tell everyone what happened to you, and maybe we can help you find your sister.”

Tanosuke nodded. This situation was too surreal. He was just a foot soldier, he wasn’t equipped to deal with all of this demon nonsense. Maybe in the morning, this strange boy would turn out to be just a figment of his overtaxed brain.

 

* * *

 

Jukai felt a little bit bad for Tanosuke. To an outsider, his family’s life likely seemed very odd, and the soldier had essentially dropped directly into the middle of it. To make matters worse, he now sat in the middle of the clinic, cornered by three protective parents with varying degrees of hostility in their expressions. Their sons stood off to the side, interested in the proceedings but not necessarily inclined to get involved.

“Okay, son. Start from the beginning, and tell us as much as you can remember.” Jukai carefully kept his face neutral, though his conflicted emotions swirled under the surface. Distrust and anger radiated so strongly from Ojiya and Hibukuro, respectively, that he didn’t need Hyakkimaru’s psychic abilities to notice it. He would have to be the rational one here.

Tanosuke had his hands on his knees as he sat seiza before them. They trembled faintly.

“A little over four years ago, my parents died, leaving me and my sister alone. I joined the army to support her and became a foot soldier for the lord.” He clenched his fingers in the fabric of his trousers. “The lord had a castle built. It was incredible, with all sorts of secret passages… and then he decided that the builders would tell his enemies about the layout if he let them live.”

Everyone in the room stiffened, and Hibukuro growled wordlessly. Dororo clapped a hand over his mouth and grabbed Hyakkimaru’s sleeve, and the older boy pulled him closer so Dororo could hide his face against his side. Tanosuke squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth.

“He made me do the deed. They were innocent, all they’d done is what he asked them to, and then he made me kill them with a dull and rusty sword. I started to hear a voice in my head, and when it told me to kill the lord to make him pay for what he’d done…” He fell forward into a full dogeza. “I know I can’t make up for what I’ve done, and I don’t deserve the kindness you’ve shown me. All I wanted was to provide for my sister and honor my parents. Not this.”

The room was deathly silent. No one moved or made a sound. Jukai wondered if Tanosuke’s contrition came from a desire for absolution from anyone willing to give it, or if he simply wanted them to spare him.

“Sit up.” Hibukuro’s gruff voice broke the silence. Tanosuke looked up at him, eyes wide with fear. Hibukuro repeated the order, and the soldier scrambled to obey. Jukai and Ojiya eyed him but made no move to stop whatever he planned to do.

“My entire family,” Hibukuro gestured vaguely around the room, “has suffered at the hands of samurai like your lord. My two eldest children died at their hands.”

Tanusuke nodded, eyes downcast. The large man leaned closer, eyes hard.

“Why did you kill your lord? Did you only do it because the sword told you to? Was it because you wanted to kill again?” He didn’t give Tanosuke a chance to answer. “Are you an oathbreaker?”

Tanosuke looked Hibukuro in the face, anger finally rising at the accusations.

“No! I did it because he deserved to pay for what he’d done! He would have done it again, and made someone else do the dirty work!”

“And what gave you the authority to decide that?” Jukai’s voice was calm, but with no trace of softness. “Going around killing people because you think they deserve it makes you no better than him.”

Jukai felt a little bad for baiting the young man, and like a hypocrite besides, but he shoved that away. He hoped that Tanosuke understood his words. Killing a murderous lord was one thing, but what if innocent people got hurt for it? What if Tanosuke decided that he simply enjoyed the feeling of killing people?

Tanosuke bit his lip and shook his head mutely. Confusion and shame rolled off him in waves.

“I just wanted him to pay for having those men killed… and for making me do it.” he sounded wretched. “I just want to go home and see my sister.”

The adults in the room looked at each other over him before Jukai glanced over at the kids. Dororo trembled slightly, face pale. The doctor wondered how many people the boy had seen his parents kill. He had no plans to let Hibukuro and Ojiya kill Tanosuke, but there was no reason to bring up bad memories. Meeting Hyakkimaru’s eyes, Jukai motioned for him to take Dororo somewhere else. Hyakkimaru took his brother by the shoulder and led him outside into the morning sunlight. When the shoji door slid shut and the sounds of little footsteps faded, Ojiya sighed and stood, drawing everyone’s attention. She fixed Tanosuke with a glare of such maternal disappointment and irritation that Jukai felt the sudden, irrational need to send a prayer of apology to his own mother.

“Your sister will be disappointed in you, I’m sure.” She crossed her arms. Tanosuke flinched, looking like he wished they’d just hurry up and kill him. Ojiya stared him down. “You can’t rejoin the army. No lord will have you after what you’ve done, and unless you killed all the witnesses, word will have spread.”

Tanosuke shook his head. His topknot was messy and the tie had loosened, so it flopped sadly as he did. Ojiya sniffed in disdain, but her face softened a little.

“But maybe your sister will just be happy to see you alive after all this time.”

Jukai studied her face. He remembered the night last year when— after a client had paid for treatment with a large bottle of sake— she’d gotten a little too drunk and reminisced about her dead brothers, confessing how much she missed them. Nobody had the courage to mention it the next day, but he didn’t forget it. His eyes slid over to Hibukuro, who had stopped glaring at Tanosuke and instead watched his wife with a sad, knowing expression.

Tanosuke’s face slowly morphed from despair to cautious hope.

 

* * *

 

Tanosuke stared at the flaming horse. The horse stared back at him. He looked back over his shoulder to where the children watched him expectantly.

“You’re serious?” he asked them, pointing at the horse. “You want me to ride that?”

“I have a name, you ungrateful human.”

Tanosuke yelped and stared at the horse again. They gave him an unimpressed look, and the children behind him started laughing.

“Ah. Excuse me then.” He tried to remember what Hyakkimaru had called the horse when he’d shouted into the woods. “Sagari— sorry— Sagari-sama, right? I’m Tanosuke.”

The horse bobbed their head once and walked past him to where the children stood. They bent their head down to allow Dororo to scratch behind their ears as Hyakkimaru stroked their neck. Tanosuke watched them with no small amount of awe. They passed their hands through the flames of the horse's body without harm, and the horse closed their glowing eyes in pleasure at the touch. 

Tanosuke had observed the family over the past few days he'd spent recovering in their house. While the adults clearly had their own issues and… odd parental arrangement… the kids were as odd as the demon horse. This assessment didn’t even touch on Hyakkimaru’s odd appearance— it was the way they acted that really threw him off. Hyakkimaru didn’t seem to quite grasp the nuances of polite conversation. His body language was odd, and sometimes he stared as if he could see more of a person than what was on the surface. Dororo was downright irreverent. A few demons had come to the house during Tanosuke’s stay, and the kids were completely comfortable around them. He had seen Hyakkimaru climbing into the branches of a sentient tree, talking and laughing with it. Dororo, meanwhile, had ridden on the shell of a large hairy turtle and brushed the fur of a nine-tailed fox. In fact, it seemed like the younger boy took more care with the fox’s hair than his own.

The boys had little to no family resemblance, but Hyakkimaru had mentioned that he was adopted. They acted like blood siblings, though— the same way Tanosuke remembered acting with Osushi when they were younger. Hyakkimaru and Dororo joked, fought, and ganged up on their parents when they wanted something. They also had a similar sense of maturity to them, when the situation called for it, like all children exposed to war inevitably did.

This morning, Hyakkimaru had come up to him and handed him his sword. When he drew it, though, he noticed that the blade had been replaced. Hyakkimaru hadn’t looked apologetic, exactly, but maybe understanding.

“I’m sorry, but the blade you had has blood magic on it now, and even without Nihil in it, it’s not safe for you to have.”

_ You’re an interesting host, and in another life, we could have had a lot of fun together, but this is where we say goodbye. _ Nihil didn’t sound like he cared much, but Tanosuke was too relieved to take offense. Spending the rest of his life under the influence of a demon residing inside a blood-cursed blade sounded like a good way to die quickly and painfully. He looked down at the replacement blade in his hands, safely inside the old blade’s tsuba and tsuka, but with a brand new wrapping. It was beautiful and well-honed.

“Are you sure it’s all right for me to take this? It’s a beautiful blade. And what will you do with the… uh… evil one?”

Hyakkimaru made a face and sighed.

“The blade isn’t any more evil than any other sword, it just has power now. Jubokko helped me to put it in my arm for safekeeping.” He pulled off his right forearm to show Tanosuke. “The one you have now is the one I used to have in here. It’s just a normal blade. It’s as safe as a katana blade can be.”

Tanosuke blinked at Hyakkimaru, eyes darting between his face and the blade sticking out of his arm. A small part of him whispered  _ it’s my blade, mine, _ but he tamped that down.

“And it won’t… affect you? Make you kill people?”

“No, my psychic powers are too strong for that. Even Uncle Nihil can’t take over my mind, and he’s tried.”

Tanosuke hadn’t known how to respond, so he’d let the conversation end as Hyakkimaru slid his arm back on and walked away.

He adjusted the pack that the doctor had given him, filled with a few provisions, and walked up to Sagari. He bowed.

“Forgive my earlier rudeness. I was startled. I would be honored to have your assistance getting home.”

The horse snorted at him and pulled away from the kids. They looked him in the eye until, satisfied with what they saw, they turned to position their side near the wood chopping stump.

“Get on,” they said, “And hold on. I’m only doing this as a favor to my nephews, so I would prefer that it didn’t take long. It will be shorter if you don’t fall off.”

Tanosuke wasn’t good at riding bareback, but he could do it. He struggled onto Sagari’s back, marveling at how solid they were despite their appearance. The flames licked at his legs but didn’t burn. He met Hyakkimaru’s eyes.

“Thank you for everything,” he said. “If you’re ever near my hometown, you should stop by. I think my sister would like you two.”

“Bye, Tanosuke!” Dororo waved his hand manically. “For a soldier, you’re not so bad, so try not to die!”

Hyakkimaru gave Tanosuke a sympathetic grimace, one older brother to another. Sagari’s patience for pleasantries had worn out, and they took off at a trot towards the road. Tanosuke held as tightly to the flaming mane as he dared. The trees lining the road blurred, as though Sagari were galloping at full tilt, but there was none of the associated jostling or sensation of speed. When the trees around them came back into focus, Sagari slowed to a walk until they reached the top of a rise. There, in the valley below, was Tanosuke’s hometown. He gaped.

“How did we—”

“This is as far as I will take you, as I’m sure that returning home on my back will do nothing to endear you to your neighbors.”

Tanosuke slid off and thanked the horse, who merely nodded and melted into shadow as they walked away, leaving nothing but the faint smell of burnt hair. Tanosuke stared at the spot on the road where the horse had last been, trying to gather his courage.

He was a different man than he’d been when he’d left home. He’d killed people, both on and off the field of battle. Now that he was no longer a soldier, he would have to figure out how to support them both.

He hoped Osushi would understand.

The walk down into town was on a gently curving road down the side of the valley. Too soon, the road curved into town and he approached his childhood home. He stood in front of the gate, staring into the courtyard.

What would he even say?

He sat on the ground and leaned against the wall, dropping the pack beside him. He couldn’t work up the courage to enter yet. Digging a hand through the pack, he drew out a square of paper and began folding with slow, deliberate motions. Two diagonal, two vertical, collapsed in on itself, now fold in the flaps to the center, open it up…

Soon a perfect paper crane sat in his palm. He pinched the bottom and tugged on the tail, making the wings flap.

“Aniue?” a voice asked.

Tanosuke looked up, stared at the woman before him, and felt a relieved smile creep onto his tired face. He held out the crane like an offering.

“Osushi, I’m home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No new demons appear in this chapter!
> 
> Once again, Fetuscakes made this chapter sensible and readable. What would I do without you?


	7. Interlude: There Goes the Neighborhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doctor Jukai was strange enough to feed the nearby village's rumor mill all by himself. When he adopted a child and all sorts of guests began showing up at his house, however, things really got interesting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love outsider POV fics, so here is a whole chapter of it before we transition into the next story arc. A big thank you to the anonymous commenter who suggested the scene with Hyakkimaru in the snow, which was such a cute idea I had to write it in.
> 
> If anyone has any suggestions for what they'd like to see in the future, or for another interlude chapter, I'd love to hear! Your comments really keep me going.

Doctor Jukai was something of a nine-day wonder when he first arrived, moving into the house just outside of the small river village. People were naturally curious about him and grew even more so when it was revealed that he was a doctor specializing in replacing body parts with clever wooden replicas. Stranger still, he didn’t demand any sort of outrageous payment, and would happily trade his services for whatever goods a patient could spare.

He took on an apprentice and, despite the rumors that circulated about a dark and bloody past, he became a well-liked figure in the community. Still, the doctor always seemed to keep separate from the rest of the villagers, and gossip flew as to why. Perhaps there was something to those rumors, some said. Others claimed that he must be in mourning for someone.

When his apprentice left, people talked. Why did he leave? Where did he go? What reason could he have for giving up a promising apprenticeship like that? A few brave— or insatiably curious— souls tried to ask the doctor, but the only answer they received was a heartbroken smile and a murmured “he had to go.” It quickly became apparent that this topic, like anything about his past, was off-limits for discussion. That didn’t stop the villagers from talking amongst themselves, of course, but they at least had the sense not to pry.

When the baby showed up, and suddenly the doctor had all manner of odd guests, rumors really did fly.

 

* * *

 

The doctor may have specialized in prosthetic replacements, but he had a vast knowledge of herbal remedies for more common ailments, which was the reason for Hiroto’s visit today. He had a cough which had persisted for a few weeks now, and his wife nagged at him constantly to get it looked at.

“Stuff that pride of yours and go see the doctor!” she insisted, whacking him on the back. “You’re no good to me or the children if you can’t breathe.”

Hiroto suspected that she planned to grill him on anything he could gather about the doctor’s personal life when he returned home, but that didn’t invalidate her concern. He made the trek up the road that ran along the river bank, stopping to catch his breath every now and again. At one such interlude, he noticed something odd floating in the water, and he bent forward to take a closer look. It looked like a rock covered in dark moss, but… rocks didn’t float.

A head popped out of the water, and Hiroto fell backward with a yelp. This triggered another coughing fit. The turtle gave him a baleful look, hauling itself onto the bank with powerful claws. If Hiroto didn’t know better, he’d think it was judging him. The long strands of hair-like moss— it must be moss, turtles don’t grow hair— dripped steadily onto the sand of the bank. Hiroto stood and considered the creature. It didn’t look like a kappa, but one could never be too sure. He bowed to it.

He had no idea turtles could look offended. It glared at him before turning and sliding back into the water, swimming rapidly upstream and out of sight. Perhaps turtles weren’t big on politeness.

He made it to the doctor’s house and found it uncrowded, with only a few patients waiting that day. The doctor was in the middle of helping a young man, and it was a nice day, so Hiroto decided to enjoy the sunlight for a bit before waiting inside. Around the back, there was an open grassy area leading down to the water. Sitting on the back porch, a woman faced the river and held a bundle in her arms. She wore a fine kimono with a long robe over it. It bulged oddly behind her, but perhaps that was simply how the fabric fell. Hiroto didn’t want to startle her, but another coughing fit overcame him. When he straightened and his eye ceased watering, her eyes were on him. The intense, predatory look in her eyes made him wary.

“Who are you?” she asked, standing and holding the bundle to her chest. Her elegantly painted eyebrows drew together. Hiroto realized with a start that the bundle was an infant, and she was breastfeeding.

“I’m so sorry for interrupting! I’m just here as a patient.” He bowed low. He’d heard that the doctor had adopted a child, but there had been no word about him being married as well, and to a noble lady! She made a soft “hmph” noise.

“The clinic is on the other side of the house. I would ask you to stay there and not risk getting this child sick.”

Hiroto scurried away, too intimidated to be offended at her tone. Later, after the doctor gave him a bundle of herbs and directions to boil them and breathe in the steam, he realized that he was being rude.

“Congratulations, Doctor.”

“I beg your pardon?” Doctor Jukai blinked at him.

“I had heard that you adopted a child, but no one mentioned your new wife. She’s terrifying, but beautiful.”

“Who, Lady Bandai?” For some reason, the doctor looked like he wanted to laugh. “She’s not my wife. She’s one of Hyakkimaru’s aunts. I’m certain a marriage with her would end with me dead in almost no time.”

Hiroto nodded dumbly and left, wondering what, if anything, he should tell his wife.

 

* * *

 

That wasn’t the end of it by any means. Hiroto ended up having to visit the doctor multiple times over the next decade or so, and each time was more surreal than the last. He began to suspect there was something… unnatural happening at the house, but any time he mentioned that his wife scolded him for being too superstitious.

Two years after that first visit, he went to get a poultice for a deep cut he’d managed to get on his arm while fishing. This time he stayed on the front porch until it was his turn. While he waited, a small child darted around the side of the house, spotted him, and dove behind his legs. Close behind, a woman stormed towards him, and the child squeaked.

“Hyakkimaru, get over here,” the woman demanded, pointing at the ground near her feet. The child gripped Hiroto’s kimono and peered around him, but ducked back behind when he saw the woman’s glare.

“No!” he shouted. “No bath!”

The woman pinched the bridge of her nose and huffed. This was a different woman than the one he’d met two years before, but she had the same unearthly beauty and elegance to her.

“You can either come over here willingly, young man, or you can wait for me to hunt you down and scruff you.” She growled the threat, and the child— Hyakkimaru— went still. Hiroto glanced down at him. He looked up at the man pleadingly with bright, unnaturally orange eyes. The hands gripping his kimono were clearly wooden, though they retained the texture of the bark and appeared far more sophisticated than the doctor’s usual creations, well-crafted though those were. Hyakkimaru looked back around Hiroto’s side, stuck his tongue out at the woman, and ran. The woman growled in anger and gave chase, and Hiroto told himself that he was only imagining that her shadow looked more vulpine than human.

 

* * *

 

Hiroto didn’t have to return to the doctor’s office until a year and a half later when he sprained his ankle wading through the late spring floodwaters. His wife helped him limp up the riverside road, and he could swear that he saw the same mossy turtle sunning on the far bank, though it was much larger now. He could also swear that it watched him go and narrowed its eyes at him.

The doctor had another elegant female guest this time, though she had a much colder countenance than the other two. Her dark brown eyes didn’t seem to reflect any light, and her silver furisode contrasted with her feathery white hair, both pooling around her knees as she knelt seiza next to the doctor on the porch. She was enjoying a cup of tea and barely glanced at Hiroto and his wife when they approached. Doctor Jukai got to his feet and ushered them towards the door.

A rustling of grass alerted them, and when they all turned to look they saw Hyakkimaru running past, something clutched in his little wooden hand. The woman straightened, eyes locking on him.

“Let me see what you have!” she demanded, voice stern.

“A knife!” Hyakkimaru held it up as he ran past, and it glinted. It looked awfully sharp.

“ _No!_ ” the woman shouted as she practically flew after him.

“Oh, Kami-sama, why does he have a knife?” Hiroto heard the doctor’s despair, and a quick look showed that he had his eyes closed and face tilted towards the heavens, murmuring a prayer for strength.

 

* * *

 

A couple of years after that, Hiroto returned to retrieve medicine for his wife, who had developed a nasty head cold in the dead of winter. He spotted Hyakkimaru playing in the snow as he was leaving the clinic and paused to watch the young boy. He’d grown since the last time he’d seen him. The doctor had clearly made him a new set of wooden limbs, as they were bigger to match. Hyakkimaru spotted Hiroto and waved enthusiastically. Hiroto, giving in to curiosity, approached.

“What are you doing?” He asked. “It’s awfully cold out here for little boys.”

Hyakkimaru shook his head, hair flopping into his face.

“I’m fine! I’m looking for things under the snow!”

Hiroto puzzled over that statement as Hyakkimaru approached a large snow bank, cocking his head back and forth like a dog, eyes pointed straight ahead. Hiroto only realized what the boy planned to do when he tensed, ready to spring.

“Wait!” he called, reaching out, but he was too late. The boy leapt forward in a swan dive, neatly landing head first in the snow bank up to his chest. He remained still for a moment until he seemed to realize what a predicament he was in, whereupon he began to flail wildly. Hiroto rushed forward and grabbed the boy’s skinny hips, pulling him out of the snow. He held the boy upside-down as snow fell from him. Hyakkimaru had a huge grin on his face, and he laughed, the motion causing more snow to fall from his hair. In his hands, he clutched a struggling mouse. Hiroto pondered how best to put the boy down from this position.

“Hyakkimaru!”

The shout startled both of them, and Hiroto nearly dropped the boy as he looked behind him to see the doctor approaching.

“Dad!” Hyakkimaru called, seemingly unbothered at his upside-down position which Hiroto hadn’t yet righted. “Look, I caught a mouse!”

Jukai reached out and gently took his son from Hiroto and held him bridal-style, giving the man a grateful look.

“That’s nice, son, but I think your aunt is being a bad influence on you.”

Hyakkimaru insistently shook his head, pouting and clutching the mouse close. It seemed to have given up struggling and instead eyed the boy’s wooden digits with interest. The doctor heaved a put-upon sigh.

“Thanks for your help, Hiroto-san.” He nodded in gratitude.

“Uh… no problem…” Hiroto eyed the boy, who was now happily inspecting the mouse and stroking its gray fur. “Does he do that sort of thing a lot?”

Doctor Jukai rolled his eyes.

“Yes. His aunts and uncles are all terrible influences, but I can’t exactly keep them from him. He’d throw a fit, and I don’t want to think about what the d— the rest of the family would do to me.”

“Well,” Hiroto said, unable to think of a good response. “Raising children always comes with its own difficulties.”

The doctor sighed heavily and muttered something that sounded like “the child isn’t the issue.” Hiroto, again without a proper answer, made a few awkward noises about needing to leave. The doctor, distracted with trying to get his son to release the mouse he held, barely noticed.

 

* * *

 

When Hiroto tried to visit the clinic later that same winter to get some bruise salve after he slipped on the icy riverbank, he came face to face with one of the imposing women Jukai kept company with rather than the doctor. She had a young girl with her, and there was enough family resemblance that he guessed the child was her daughter. The doctor and his son were nowhere to be seen.

“What do you want?” the woman asked curtly. Her white hair and deep brown eyes were exactly as he remembered them, as was the coldness in her voice. The child peered up at him curiously.

“Ah, is Doctor Jukai here?” Hiroto bowed to her, but she made no move to return the gesture. He shifted nervously.

“He’s out,” the woman said.

He waited for a further explanation but received none.

“When… will he be back?” he asked. The woman sighed, looking bored.

“In four days. He is visiting family.” She looked at him as if she very much wished for him to leave. The little girl beside her giggled. Hiroto decided that, really, his bruised side would be fine without the salve if getting it meant trying to convince this woman to help him. Nodding to her, he had barely moved to leave when the woman slammed the shoji door in his face.

Later that night, his wife laughed at him when he told her the reason he’d come home empty-handed, which only made him regret opening his mouth. He should have just told her that no one had been home.

 

* * *

 

Sometimes the doctor and his son came into town on market day for supplies and to catch up with the residents. Hyakkimaru would usually stick close to his father, but sometimes he wandered around and looked at all of the items for sale, or watched the other children playing. The children all knew him, or at least of him, but they rarely invited him to join them unless no one else was available.

On one such trip, Hyakkimaru wandered past the market stall Hiroto sold his fish to each week as he stood and chatted with the vendor. The boy didn’t seem to have a destination in mind. His head swiveled this way and that as he took in the sights, and he gave a tentative wave to Hiroto as he passed, which the man returned. It had been about eight years since the child had come to live with Doctor Jukai, and his presence was no longer the subject of quite as much gossip, though occasionally he still heard tales of odd things people had spotted the boy doing. According to some of the dye-workers, they had spotted the doctor training him to use a sword— a real steel blade, in the hands of a young boy!  Naturally, this caused a brief resurgence in the rumors concerning the doctor’s alleged grisly past.

Hyakkimaru watched the people around him interact, and occasionally someone would greet him, so he would greet them back politely. When anyone spoke to him, he would unerringly turn to face them fully and make complete eye contact, which possibly contributed to the lack of greetings he got from those around him. He seemed oblivious to the eyes and whispers which followed him. Oblivious, that is, up until a pair of older children deliberately stepped into his path. He looked at them questioningly, and they glared down at him. Hiroto wasn’t sure whether to step in or not, but he’d learned with his own children that you couldn’t fight all their battles for them.

“You should get out of here. Creepy kids like you don’t belong here.” The older brother of the pair stared down at Hyakkimaru, who raised an impassive eyebrow and didn’t say anything. The expression reminded Hiroto so much of the woman who had shooed him away from the empty clinic that he had to stifle a laugh. The younger sister curled her lip at him.

“Why can’t you just leave us all alone?” she demanded. Hyakkimaru tilted his head.

“You’re the ones who came up to me. I’m not doing anything wrong.” He looked honestly puzzled at their antagonism. “Shouldn’t I be saying that to you?”

The older boy crossed his arms and tried to look intimidating. It was difficult for him, gangly as he was, but he was nearly half a head taller than Hyakkimaru and had more wiry muscle. He used this to his advantage, looming over the younger boy. Hiroto supposed that when he was eight he might have considered this kid a threat, but Hyakkimaru didn’t look impressed.

“Weird things happen when you’re around, and there are all those strange people hanging out at your house, too. Mama says it’s not right, your dad having so many strange women in his house." The elder boy crossed his arms, and the girl nodded.

“Mama says you and your freaky dad should just stay in the forest and leave us all in peace!” Her voice was high-pitched and demanding. The other adults around them looked like they were doing their best to ignore the conversation and failing at it. Hyakkimaru’s hands curled into fists, and Hiroto couldn’t help but wonder at the amount of motor control the doctor had been able to put into them.

“Without my dad, your mama would have died of that flu she had last winter, so why don’t you leave him out of this?” Hyakkimaru’s voice came out in a feral growl that an eight-year-old shouldn’t be capable of. “And my aunts are smarter than your mama could ever be, especially if she doesn’t know to keep her ungrateful mouth shut!”

The older boy gave a wordless, affronted shriek and swung his fist at Hyakkimaru. Hiroto tensed, ready to step in, but Hyakkimaru caught the blow in his palm with a loud smacking noise. The attacker yelped in pain. With a quick twist, Hyakkimaru brought the other boy’s arm up and behind his back in a painful hold. He forced the much taller child to the dusty ground and knelt over him. The girl shrieked and ran away, crying for her parents.

“Don’t you ever talk about my family like that again,” Hyakkimaru hissed, loud enough that everyone could hear. His would-be attacker sobbed in pain and nodded. He twisted the boy’s arm a little further, holding a little tighter.

“Hyakkimaru, what are you doing?”

Hyakkimaru immediately released the boy and jumped away. The woman who marched up to him and took him by the ear was one Hiroto recognized from the doctor’s clinic— one of the boy’s aunts.

“Ow! Aunt Mae!” he whined. She didn’t let go of his ear.

“You put too much force into that move, young man! I taught you better than that!”

“But he was insulting you and Dad!” Hyakkimaru protested, trying to turn his head so her grip wasn't as painful. The other boy shakily stood, but the woman caught his arm with her other hand before he could run off.

“Now, why don't you explain to me what you said? I know my nephew wouldn’t have attacked you unless you deserved it.” Her lip curled, and the boy looked as if he were about to wet himself. “Take me to your parents, and we’ll settle this like adults.”

She marched off with two chastised boys in her grip, and all of the bystanders could finally stop pretending that they weren’t listening intently. Hiroto later heard from his daughter-in-law that Hyakkimaru’s aunt had, instead of apologizing for her nephew hurting the boy and scaring the girl, scolded their mother for teaching her children to ask for fights but not how to finish them properly.

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t long after Hyakkimaru’s fight that Hiroto spotted him walking downstream on the riverside road, an animal at his heels. Well, at first glance, it seemed to be an animal, though for the life of him Hiroto couldn’t have said what species. As the pair drew closer, Hiroto could hear the boy talking to it, and he held back a habitual call of greeting so he could listen.

“—get her to teach me how to do that. I mean, I should be able to.”

The animal, vaguely canine in form, made a small noise. Hyakkimaru shook his head.

“Yeah, I know. I just thought— well, I can do a bunch of other cool things because of my aunts and uncles. Maybe I can figure out how to do that too.”

The animal sat down by the riverbank and made another noise. It sounded demanding this time. Hyakkimaru paused and gave it a quizzical look back before he shrugged and sat next to it, looking out over the water. It swished its tail and made a chattering noise, almost like laughter. Gasping in affront, Hyakkimaru leveled it with a glare.

“I would _not_ set them on fire! That only happened once, and it was an accident anyway.”

More laughter from the animal. Hiroto was getting a little creeped out, but he would have to alert them to his presence if he wanted to pass by.

Kami-sama, was he actually intimidated by an eight-year-old?

He allowed his footsteps to crunch in the dirt as he approached, catching the pair’s attention. Now that he drew closer, he could make out more of the strange animal’s form, but he still couldn’t make out what it was, beyond mammalian and nearly the same size as Hyakkimaru. It was as if his brain couldn’t pick out any details about the creature.

“Good afternoon,” he greeted. Hyakkimaru nodded at him.

“Good afternoon, Hiroto-san.”

Hiroto halted beside them. Both the animal and the boy stared up at him expectantly. He cleared his throat.

“Who’s this?” he asked after a protracted silence, indicating the creature. Hyakkimaru’s face morphed from polite to panicked as he swiveled his head to look between them.

“This is… uh…” he stammered. The animal let out another chattering noise, and the boy scowled. “This is my aunt’s dog. I’m just keeping an eye on him today.”

Hiroto raised an eyebrow and studied the creature as it gave Hyakkimaru what looked like an offended glare. He supposed it could be described as dog-shaped, though even that might be generous. It appeared more like a smaller, more wiry animal had put on an ill-fitting dog suit and was doing its best to play make-believe.

“A dog…” he said. He was, quite honestly, too tired today and too used to the weird things that happened around this boy to bother calling his bluff. “Of course…”

He nodded goodbye and left. As he trudged up the road, he overheard the boy hiss angrily at the animal.

“You have no room to make fun of me if you can’t even get a stupid illusion right! Aunt Mae would be ashamed of you!”

 

* * *

 

Though Hiroto visited the doctor’s clinic several more times over the next few years, nothing particularly eventful happened until the day the entire village had a brand new piece of gossip to buzz about: the doctor had guests staying with him and his son, and they were unlike his usual visitors. For one thing, this family he’d taken in was bedraggled, careworn, and starving. Those who had seen them claimed that the parents looked rough and ruthless, and their child acted like a mannerless street urchin. Hiroto’s wife tutted at their heartlessness, saying it was a crying shame to see people criticize a doctor for showing compassion to a family of beggars. Hiroto wondered if the villagers had eyes; the noblewomen who came to visit him— Hyakkimaru’s aunts, he supposed— were far more intimidating than a couple of down-on-their-luck parents trying to provide for their kid could ever be.

At his wife’s urging, he made the trek up the river to visit the doctor’s house with a small welcoming gift of umeboshi from the batch she had made last year. He kept an eye out on the riverbank on the way up as had become his habit, but there was no sign of that odd turtle. He wondered if it had found a pond or something that it liked better.

As he neared the house, he heard the distinctive sounds of children playing in the woods just beyond the treeline. He figured it must be Hyakkimaru and the new child, so he left the path and headed towards the noise instead.

“Hello? Hyakkimaru-kun?” he called, trying to pinpoint the direction the childish laughter was coming from. It grew louder as he approached, but he couldn’t see them through the trees.

A movement to his right caught his eye. He could still hear the children further ahead, so it couldn’t be them. Hiroto squinted into the darkness, trying to figure out what it was, and a dark shape disturbed the underbrush. He took an instinctive step back. Its movements reminded him of a stalking predator. With a shaky breath, he looked back in the direction he’d left the path, and back at the form. He wondered if he could make it there before the thing rushed him. As he watched, the form stepped into a shaft of sunlight to reveal a large black dog with a ragged coat and a feral posture. It stalked towards him slowly, deliberately, and he hastily backed further away. The dog’s eyes glowed, and saliva dripped from its snarling jowls. Where the drool hit the dirt, it steamed and sizzled.

A low growl which grew into a snarl escaped its throat, and with a loud bark, it lunged. Hiroto yelled in surprise and fear, falling backward. The dog narrowly missed him as it sailed over his head. He scrambled away from it, trying to stand, but his legs shook too hard and he kept falling back into the dirt. The fearsome dog turned around to face him, its fangs fully bared.

Another blurry figure rushed by, intercepting the monstrous dog as it leapt for Hiroto’s throat again. Steel flashed and the dog yelped. A pair of small hands gripped Hiroto’s arm, shaking him to get his attention. Hiroto tore his eyes from the skirmish before him and found himself face-to-face with a dirty young boy.

“C’mon, we gotta get out of his way!” the kid urged, and somehow Hiroto managed to get his feet underneath him. He let the child tug him back behind a cluster of pine trees, but they both looked back to watch the fight behind them. Hiroto recognized Hyakkimaru, now a preteen, dodging and swinging a sword at the dog. It took him several moments to realize the sword was embedded in the boy’s arm, which cut off just below the elbow. In his other hand, he held a disembodied wooden forearm. He felt bile rise in his throat at the sight but forced his nausea down. If he threw up now, it would no doubt attract the dog’s attention.

Hyakkimaru managed to jump forward and catch the dog with a sweeping blow, neatly separating its head from its body. The dog collapsed, blood leaking from the neck stump and staining the mossy forest floor red as the head rolled a few paces away. Hyakkimaru wiped the sword on his kimono and slid his forearm on over it, flexing the fingers a few times once it was reattached. The young child beside Hiroto cheered in triumph.

“That was so cool!” He rushed forward to congratulate Hyakkimaru. The preteen smiled at him before turning a worried look to Hiroto. After seeing the boy destroy a demon with ease, those unnaturally orange eyes felt a lot more sinister. Hiroto flinched, just a little, but Hyakkimaru clearly caught the movement. The concern in his eyes increased and he took a step towards the man.

“Hiroto-san, right?” he asked. “Are you okay?”

Hiroto backed up a few steps until his back hit a tree. His mind flashed back to all of the gossip he’d heard over the years about the doctor and his son, and to the strange noises and stranger guests which could be found at his clinic.

“What are you?” The words escaped him in a desperate wheeze. Hyakkimaru froze, face morphing from concerned to hurt before settling into resignation. He dropped the hand he’d been reaching out towards Hiroto— the same hand Hiroto now knew hid a sword blade. The child next to him frowned deeply.

“He’s human, and he just saved you!” he declared. He looked like he wanted to continue, but Hyakkimaru cut him off.

“It’s fine, Dororo. Hiroto-san, are you injured?”

He took another step towards Hiroto, and on pure instinct, Hiroto ran. He didn’t realize until he got back home that he’d dropped the welcoming gift on the forest floor.

Three years later, when he heard the rumors that the two children had left the house with full travel packs, he was ashamed at the relief he felt at the news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New Demons in this chapter:  
> \- A minor [Kitsune](https://mythology.net/japanese/japanese-creatures/kitsune/) from the manga chapter "Banmon"  
> \- The [Inugami](http://yokai.com/inugami/), from the intro scene in "Hyakkimaru"
> 
> I am very, very disappointed in how episode 15 treated my demon wife (Maimai-onba) and her story arc, which was one of the best in the whole manga. This has nothing to do with the fic, I just wanted to get it out there.
> 
> Fetuscakes, your beta reading was wonderful as always.


	8. Nothing Is Certain But Demons and Taxes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to get the show on the road! Featuring a cryptic monk and passive-aggressive bell ringing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess this has a couple of sentences that spoil the manga ending of the treasure arc, so if you're an anime-only fan and you care about that, skip paragraph five. Otherwise, this chapter sticks with the manga version of events for the Bandai arc.

Dororo had dreams of adventure, of taking the time to explore the countryside and discover the hidden corners of Japan, just for the fun of it. He wanted to go out there and make a name for himself, to meet new people and find— or steal— new things.

He and his parents had lived here for three years now and, while he was grateful to have a home, he was eager to see more. An adventure was much more fun when you had a place to come home to, he imagined.

It wasn’t like he was completely stuck in one place, of course. Now that he was older the adults trusted him and Hyakkimaru to go into the village without them to buy and trade for the things they needed. And if Dororo practiced his pickpocketing skills while he was there, that was no one’s business but his.

They also went to the seaside a few times a year to visit Shiranui and his sharks. At first, Shiranui had been distrustful of Dororo’s parents and downright standoffish to him, but Hyakkimaru had punched him and once they’d finished fighting, he showed them the same level of politeness he gave Jukai and Hyakkimaru. That was to say, not much, but no open hostility, either. He turned out to be a fun person to go on short adventures with and was always willing to gang up on Hyakkimaru with Dororo.

During one visit, Hibukuro had regaled them with a fireside tale of hiding his treasure somewhere on the cliffs of the Bone Cape. He had always intended to retrieve it and fund a peasant uprising, but he could no longer climb the treacherous rocks. The next morning, the three boys had gone searching for it with their only clues being the map Hibukuro had sketched in the sand and the cryptic phrase “Buddha knows the way.” They wasted the whole day fruitlessly searching. Their disappointed and betrayed faces when they’d confronted the former bandit about the disappointing note and the lack of treasure in the hiding spot had made Hibukuro laugh so hard that he barely had the breath to explain what he’d actually done with it. Dororo was, possibly, still a little sore about the affair.

All of this wanderlust building within him found a convenient outlet at the end of spring when a young woman in a furisode showed up at the clinic.

“Is Hyakkimaru here?” she asked, looking around for him. Dororo took her around back to where Hyakkimaru was practicing archery under Mama’s watchful supervision. He lowered the bow when he noticed their approach.

“Aniki, this lady is looking for you!”

Hyakkimaru gaped at her.

“Kaiko?” he asked. She gave him a sly smile and nodded, and he grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, I barely recognized you. You’ve grown a lot since I saw you last.”

“Then I suppose we must age differently, because you’ve barely changed at all, cousin.”

Hyakkimaru frowned at her teasing but didn’t argue.

“I see our family has expanded again to include more humans.” Kaiko bowed in greeting to Ojiya, who raised her eyebrows in surprise, but responded in kind. “I am Kaiko of the Maimai-ga clan. My mother sends her regards, but cannot make it herself.”

“What brings you here?” Hyakkimaru laid the bow and quiver on the ground and grabbed his arm to stretch his shoulder. “Is everyone doing okay?”

Kaiko’s expression grew into one of long-suffering fondness. She reached into the fold of her kimono, pulling out a roll of delicate paper tied with a silk ribbon. Hyakkimaru took it and unrolled it while Dororo peeked over his arm to look.

“To Hyakkimaru and his esteemed family, you are hereby invited to the marriage of Maimai-onba of the Maimai-ga clan to Lord Sabame of the Three Cedars…” Hyakkimaru looked up at Kaiko with shock written on his face. “Your mom’s getting _married?_ ”

“Yes, and to a human, of all things.” Kaiko put a hand on her cheek. “I do hope you know what a terrible influence you’ve been on this family. Had she done this before, it would have been with some ulterior motive. Now, though… I do believe they actually care for each other.”

Hyakkimaru and Kaiko shared a look of bewilderment. He rolled the paper back up and tucked it into his sleeve.

“When’s the wedding?”

“At the end of summer. You’re also invited to come to spend some time before and after at Sabame-sama’s estate. One of us can come to fetch you.”

Hyakkimaru hummed in thought.

“I wanna go!” Dororo shouted, raising his hand up in the air. Kaiko blinked down at him. “I’ve always wanted to go see other places!”

“Dororo…” Ojiya sighed, putting a hand over her face. Dororo rolled his eyes. It said right there in the invitation that Hyakkimaru _and_ his family were invited.

“Thank you for bringing this to me, Kaiko. I’ll discuss it with my family and let you know what we decide.” Hyakkimaru held out an arm to his cousin. She gave him an unimpressed look but allowed him to hug her.

“Don’t take too long deciding, or we’ll give the best of the guest rooms to someone else.”

 

* * *

 

For reasons Dororo couldn’t fathom, none of the adults were as excited as they should have been about the invitation when they discussed it over dinner that night. Dororo was practically vibrating at the prospect of going to stay at an estate for a wedding. Weddings were just huge parties, and parties meant lots of food and people being careless with their valuables. Hyakkimaru looked excited as well, though he managed to stay calmer than Dororo about it. The problem was their parents.

“I can’t leave the clinic for so long. The wedding is at the beginning of the harvest season when a lot of people get injured.” Jukai crossed his arms. “I would like to go for the ceremony if I can.”

“I don’t do well in polite society,” was all Hibukuro would say on the matter. Ojiya deliberated for longer, but eventually, she decided that she would rather stay and help her husband watch the clinic for Jukai than spend so much time around the sort of people she had, up until a few years ago, regularly robbed for all they were worth.

Dororo slumped in dejection.

“That’s not to say you two can’t go,” Jukai said. Dororo perked up and gave him the biggest puppy eyes he could. “You would need to be careful, and stick together, but this seems like a good opportunity for the two of you to go out and experience more of the world.”

“You mean we should go on foot?” Hyakkimaru gave his dad a considering look. “That could take us a while, especially since we’re bound to run into trouble.”

“That sounds like a great idea!” Dororo pumped a fist into the air, turning to his parents. “Mama, Papa, can we _please_ go?”

Hibukuro’s answering smile was rueful, while Ojiya’s was more fond and indulgent. She reached out and tried to smooth down his messy hair.

“I know you’ve felt a bit trapped here, sweetie, and I should have predicted it. You are our son, after all. But if you do go, you must promise me that you and your brother will look after each other.”

Dororo shot Hyakkimaru a gleeful look, which he returned. They both jumped forward to hug her.

“Thank you!” Dororo shouted, which Hyakkimaru echoed in a calmer voice. “When should we leave? This could take some time, and we need to pack!”

They barely managed to keep Dororo from launching into his task immediately. Hibukuro took hold of his arm and kept him firmly in place.

“Slow down, son. You can at least spare the time to prepare and let us send you off properly.” His words were gruff as ever, but Dororo caught the teasing in his papa’s voice. He rolled his eyes.

“Fine, I guess. I’m sure Aniki will need help deciding what to wear, anyway.”

“Just because I actually care about not looking like a ragamuffin—” Hyakkimaru protested, coming at Dororo for a noogie. Dororo yelped and hid his head in Hibukuro’s chest.

“Papa, help!”

Hibukuro merely laughed at him.

“Perhaps if you would comb your hair you wouldn’t give him such license to tease you.”

“We’re going to have to scrub you down for the wedding.” Hyakkimaru tried to tickle Dororo under the arms. “You know Aunt Maimai won’t let you anywhere near the ceremony if you don’t.”

Deciding that his papa was a traitor for letting Hyakkimaru get so close, Dororo stood and bolted.

“You can’t bathe me if you can’t catch me!” he called over his shoulder as he threw open the door and into the field outside. Hyakkimaru was hot on his heels, but he’d never been fast enough to catch Dororo when he didn’t want to be caught.

 

* * *

 

They left a week later, after much deliberation and fussing on their parents’ parts on what to take that would help them but not make them a target for thieves, they finally were ready. They’d settled on some preserved food, a small string of coins, and their bedrolls. They would wear their older, more worn-down clothing for the road. Jukai would bring them a clean set of clothing each when he arrived at the wedding. It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for traveling.

Hyakkimaru had some idea of where to go, as Nihil knew the general location of Maimai-onba’s clan in relation to their home. They set out on the road next to the river, following it back upstream.

“You know, this is the same river Minogame found me floating down, fourteen years ago.” Hyakkimaru stared out over the meanders of the shining water. “I’ve lived by it my whole life, but I’ve never bothered to go back upstream before.”

“Why not?” Dororo followed his gaze but saw nothing but more grass and trees.

Hyakkimaru shrugged carelessly.

“I never had the urge. I’ve wanted to travel, sure, but it never seemed like this urgent thing for me, like it is for you.” He gave Dororo a wry smile. “But I haven’t seen some of my aunts and uncles in years. Maybe we should go visit a few of them along the way.”

Dororo liked the sound of that.

“That’s a great idea! Who’s closest?”

 _Bandai’s village is several miles to the northeast, but not too far out of your way._ Nihil joined the conversation. _Perhaps you could even get Kanekozo to stop ringing that stupid bell so she can stop complaining about it all the time._

“Who’s Kanekozo?” Dororo asked

_Some little urchin who found Bandai’s stash of money. Since she buries it instead of keeping it locked away in a chest, Kanekozo is desperate for someone to find and claim it._

“Stash of money, you say?” Dororo grinned.

“If you want her to eat you, then go ahead and try to take it,” Hyakkimaru warned. Dororo thought about that before deciding that maybe it wasn’t worth the risk if even Hyakkimaru thought it was dangerous.

In the distance, miles upstream, they could make out the sprawl of a large town. Dororo wondered if there were many wealthy people there to steal from there and if they should take a detour and visit. However, Nihil indicated that their route lay on a path that forked off and away from the river, so they turned away and into the trees.  

 

* * *

 

They passed through a small village on their third day on the road, though it could hardly be called that. “Ghost town” might have been more appropriate. There was almost no one around, and those who were outside were ragged and starved. Hyakkimaru kept a protective hand on Dororo's shoulder as they walked to ensure nobody decided he was an easy target and, more importantly, to ensure Dororo didn't get any ideas. He gently tugged the boy out of the path of an old blind man. Hopefully, they could get through here without incident.

“You there!” A voice called behind them. Hyakkimaru stopped walking, closed his eyes, and took a moment to curse the universe for its sense of situational irony. It had clearly heard his thoughts and was mocking him. He risked a glance over his shoulder. The old blind man was facing them with a raised eyebrow.

“Who, us?” He tried to keep his voice neutral, as Aunt Bandai had taught him.

“No, you specifically. You reek of death.”

The brothers exchanged a confused look. Hyakkimaru faced the man.

“What makes you say that?”

“I may be blind, but I can sniff out things the average man can't.” The man approached, so Hyakkimaru shifted to stand between him and Dororo. The old man carried a biwa on his back and wore the outfit of a traveling priest, though his clothing had seen better days. He pointed his cane at Hyakkimaru's chest. “There's misfortune all over you. You've got demons on your tail, haven't you?”

“Uh…” Hyakkimaru looked down at his left arm, and back up. “I wouldn't put it exactly like that, but sure. Yeah. I tend to run into demons.”

Dororo snickered behind him, so he stomped on the younger boy's foot.

“Where are you headed?” The man asked. Hyakkimaru wasn't quite sure why he cared, but he clearly meant no harm.

“We're going to our aunt's wedding!” Dororo popped out from behind Hyakkimaru. “But first we're going to our other aunt's village to visit her.”

“The road is treacherous for two young children. How are your skills with a sword?”

“My dad and uncle taught me since I was six. I've been sparring with Dororo for a few years. We're not helpless.” Hyakkimaru crossed his arms. The man gave him a small, confident smile.

“Let me show you a trick,” he said. Reaching back to his biwa, he tugged on the handle and pulled it off to reveal a sword.

 _I bet that ruins the acoustics,_ Nihil said to the two brothers, taking care not to let the man hear him. Dororo had to clap a hand over his mouth to hide a snort, and Hyakkimaru smiled a little. The man didn’t seem to notice. He held his sword straight in the air, blade facing up, and settled into a braced stance. A fly buzzed close, and the man adjusted his blade to the precise angle to intercept its path and cut it in half. Each half, propelled by its own momentum, veered away and stuck to a wall on either side of the road. Hyakkimaru inspected the closer one, touching and watching it peel off the wall. Dororo ran across the road to do the same to the other piece.

“That was incredible.” Hyakkimaru gave the old man an assessing look. His soul flame was strong and bright white. “Where did you learn that?”

“I’m self-taught. In this world, you can only rely on yourself in the end.”

“Or maybe you just haven’t found the right people to rely on!” Dororo strode up to the man and gazed up at his face. “Who are you, anyway?”

The man tilted his head down and gave Dororo an indulgent smile.

“You can call me Biwamaru.” He slid the sword back into the biwa on his back. “Would you two be adverse to some company on your way to your aunt’s village? I have no destination, and you seem like interesting travel companions.”

Dororo sent a skeptical look Hyakkimaru’s way, but the older boy just shrugged. It was no skin off his demonically-given nose if the man wanted to tag along.

“Well, I don’t believe you that Biwamaru is your _real_ name, but I’m Dororo, and that’s my Aniki, Hyakkimaru. Now come on, we gotta get going.”

With that, he marched off down the ghost town’s main street. Biwamaru chuckled and tilted his head at Hyakkimaru, indicating they should follow. Hyakkimaru offered his arm, but the old man turned it down wordlessly.

“He’s very lively.” The old man gestured in Dororo’s general direction. “He must be a handful for your parents.”

“You have no idea. I think he’s the reason they were so agreeable about letting us walk across the country for a wedding. It might give them a bit of a respite.”

“I heard that!” Dororo shouted.

“You were meant to!” Hyakkimaru shouted back.

Biwamaru chuckled again and shook his head, probably wondering what exactly he’d gotten himself into.

 

* * *

 

The village had just come into view through the thick bamboo forest when a chiming sound caught the group's attention. They glanced into the tall plants to their left. Several paces in and barely visible through the stalks there sat a figure with a large tan head, ringing a little bell.

 _“You want it?”_ it asked.

“Aniki, what is that thing? A demon?”

Hyakkimaru waited for Nihil to say something, but the tsukumogami had been stubbornly silent since they allowed Biwamaru to tag along with them.

“Its soul flame is yellow. I don't think it'll hurt us.” Hyakkimaru said. “Maybe it's that Kanekozo thing?”

At the mention of the name, the creature approached and rang its bell faster in excitement.

_“You want it? You want it?”_

“Uh. Maybe later?” Hyakkimaru told it. “I have to go see someone first.”

Kanekozo didn't respond, but it slowly faded from sight, leaving only one last chime of its bell. The group stood in silence watching the spot where it had been until Biwamaru spoke.

“You can see soul flames as well, young man?”

“Yeah, Aniki can do all sorts of cool things!” Dororo chirped. “Now let's get going! I don't want to wait around for that thing to get back.”

Biwamaru and Hyakkimaru shared a sardonic little smile and followed Dororo down the road. It couldn't have been more than a quarter of an hour until they exited the bamboo forest and found themselves on a small bridge leading to a village.

Bandai's village was beautiful, and a stark departure from where they'd run into Biwamaru. The houses were sturdy and well cared for, and the people looked healthy.

“Wow, this place looks pretty prosperous!” Dororo put his hands behind his head and swiveled around, taking everything in.

“We do all right, with Lady Bandai's help.” A middle-aged man approached, giving Dororo an indulgent smile. He clearly didn't think any of the group posed a threat.

“We're here to see her, actually. She's our aunt. Could you let her know?” Hyakkimaru gave the man a friendly smile. The man looked up at him, clearly about to answer, and did a double-take. Ah, there it was. Hyakkimaru raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to say anything. Dororo looked between the two, sensing the tension, and Hyakkimaru could pinpoint the second that he understood what was going through the man's head. The younger boy opened his mouth and Hyakkimaru put a hand over it to keep him from starting anything. They'd had enough trouble at the small village near their home, with Dororo constantly running his mouth, always quick to jump to Hyakkimaru's defense.

“If you’re busy, I’m sure we can find her ourselves.” Hyakkimaru grimaced as Dororo licked the palm of his hand, getting slobber all over it. He continued to cover his brother’s mouth, so Dororo bit down on the side of his hand with a muffled crunch of splintering bark. The man in front of them stepped back in alarm, but Hyakkimaru didn’t give either of them the satisfaction of reacting. It barely hurt, anyway.

“No… no, follow me…” The man led them through the streets towards a manor, sneaking wary glances at them the whole way.

“Bleh, your hand tastes like tree bark,” Dororo complained, scrubbing at his tongue.

“Imagine that. Something tasting like what it’s made of.”

The man led them into the manor’s grounds and to a sliding paper door. Before opening it, he spoke to them in a low voice.

“She might not be feeling well, so if she isn’t up to visitors, you will have to leave, even if you are her nephews and—” he eyed Biwamaru, “their grandfather?”

Biwamaru shook his head with a chuckle.

“No, I’m just an old monk, keeping company where I can find it.”

They slid the doors open to let light into the dim room. Opposite the door was a luxurious bed with Lady Bandai reclined on it. She looked to the door with an expression of bland curiosity when it first slid open, but when she spotted her guests she sat up straight and held out a hand to beckon them closer, a smile on her face.

“Hyakkimaru, so good to see you! And you must be Dororo. I’m so sorry I haven’t had the chance to travel and meet you yet.”

Hyakkimaru rushed forward to hug her while Dororo trailed behind. Biwamaru remained by the door even as the man who’d brought them there shut it and left.

“Aunt Bandai! What on earth are you doing, laying around like a convalescent?” Hyakkimaru laughed as she ruffled his hair, once again feeling for any sign of horns on his forehead. She didn’t get the chance to answer before Dororo trotted up, an uncharacteristically shy look on his face.

“You’re really pretty!” he blurted, then blushed as if he hadn’t meant to say that. “You’re almost as pretty as Mama.”

Bandai raised a delicately painted eyebrow at him, wry humor across her face.

“Well, I suppose there’s no accounting for taste with you humans,” she said, “but I’m going to pretend that was a compliment.”

Both boys sat on the bed beside her. She eyed Hyakkimaru’s left arm.

“How is Nihil?”

“Oh, he’s sulking.” Hyakkimaru jabbed a thumb towards Biwamaru to indicate why. She gave the old monk a curious look.

“Hyakkimaru, I thought we raised you with more manners than that. Introduce me.”

Biwamaru approached, looking wary, but he bowed politely anyway.

“Aunt Bandai, this is Biwamaru. He’s a swordsman we met on our way here. He’s—” he paused, trying not to giggle. “He’s concerned I have demons tailing me.”

“Oh do you, now?” She gave him a flat look. Dororo couldn’t hold in his giggles as well as Hyakkimaru.

“Anyway, we met that little bell-ringer guy on the way here. Uncle Nihil says he’s giving you a hard time?”

Bandai shifted to sit on the edge of the bed and plant her feet on the floor. She pulled her tail out of the large pillow she’d used as a backrest, and Dororo poked his head inside.

“You saw him? What did he say to you?” She kneaded her brow with one elegantly manicured hand.

“He kept asking if we wanted something.” Dororo’s voice was muffled in the pillow. “Didn’t say what.”

“I fear I may have missed something.” Biwamaru scratched his lumpy head and pointed his cane at Hyakkimaru. “You are clearly human, yet you have the scent of demons clinging to you like a miasma. So does he, to a much lesser extent.” He pointed to where Dororo’s lower half stuck out of the pillow. When he pointed at Bandai, she looked at his cane as if she wished to break it in half.

“But you, Ōjo-sama, have the unmistakable aura of a demon. It’s blood red.” He frowned deeply, tilting his head at her. Bandai smirked and pushed his cane down.

“Very perceptive, old man.” She stood and brushed past him to the door, listening at it before nodding once in satisfaction. “They’re gone. We won’t be overheard.”

Biwamaru must have heard a threat in those words because he reached for the handle of his biwa. Hyakkimaru put a hand on his, halting the motion. The monk frowned in confusion at him.

“Monk, while I understand your concern, I assure you I will not harm any who travel with my nephews. Nor do I mean to harm these villagers. We have coexisted for years now, and this valley was mine long before I possessed this body.” She came back to the bed and pulled Dororo out of her pillow. “I hide my tail in this pillow and pretend to be a frail human woman because most humans don’t like the idea of having a demon as their lord. Only a few know that I am the one who protects this valley from thieves and soldiers in return for a tithe. I used to go and take it from their homes myself, but in recent years we’ve come to a less… traumatic arrangement.”

“What would that be?” Biwamaru had lowered his hand, but Hyakkimaru still eyed him to ensure he didn’t attack.

“My retainer knows what I am. He collects my tribute and takes it to the woods. He tells them that it’s a tribute to keep the demon out of their houses.”

“You’re robbing them.” The monk leaned heavily on his cane. “And what use could a monster have with human money?”

Bandai scowled at the monk, horns beginning to poke from her forehead.

“They’re _taxes_ , same as with any other lordship.”

“Maybe we should figure out the situation with Kanekozo instead of arguing about this?” Hyakkimaru suggested before the situation could devolve. “Moral judgments aside, that thing is eventually gonna bring someone willing and able to kill you right to your doorstep, and I don’t want my right arm back enough to let that happen.”

Biwamaru gave him a bewildered look, and Bandai, though incapable of looking contrite, at least calmed enough to retract her horns. Dororo made a disappointed noise when they vanished.

“You’re gonna have to show me your true form before we leave. That’s too cool.”

Bandai patted his head and gave him an indulgent wink.

“You sound like you already have something in mind,” she said, leveling a curious expression at Hyakkimaru. He smiled and raised an eyebrow.

“I might.”

 

* * *

 

That night they headed into the bamboo with Bandai guiding them on where they needed to go to find her stash.

“He’ll be there, I’m sure of it,” she said. “But don’t touch any of it.”

She cast a significant look at Dororo, who didn’t bother to look chastened. Biwamaru still acted wary around her, but he had relaxed enough to go along with them and see how their plan turned out.

“What did you mean,” he asked, turning his head towards Hyakkimaru, “when you said that you ‘don’t want your right arm back’? What does that have to do with her?”

“Oh, right.” Hyakkimaru scratched the back of his neck. “Aunt Bandai is one of the forty-eight demons of the Hall of Hell. My birth father sold me to them in exchange for power, so now they all have one of my original body parts.”

Biwamaru’s jaw dropped.

“And yet, you seem to trust her.”

“The demons all worked together to bring Aniki to Dad and raise him together!” Dororo grinned up at the man. “They even gave him better body parts to replace the old ones. That’s why he’s so cool!”

“Thank you, Dororo.” Hyakkimaru frowned at Dororo for having stolen his thunder.

In the distance, a bell chimed.

Everyone stopped and faced where the sound had come from. Bandai crossed her arms and growled, shifting to her demonic appearance.

“And there he is, right by my stash.” She strode towards the sound of the chiming bell, with everyone else following behind. “Go away!”

“Aunt Bandai, wait.” Hyakkimaru caught up and put a hesitant hand on the demon’s arm. “Let me talk to him.”

She glared at him and crossed her arms, but stopped just before the entrance to the clearing where Kanekozo sat on a mound of dirt. Hyakkimaru nodded in thanks and approached the creature. It was hard to tell, but he thought Kanekozo seemed excited to see him.

 _“You want it?”_ he asked, ringing the bell more rapidly. Dororo came up behind Hyakkimaru and peered around him to study Kanekozo.

“It’s not yours to give away, Kanekozo.” Hyakkimaru crossed his arms. The creature before him seemed hurt, and he stopped ringing his bell. Hyakkimaru crouched in front of him and scooped up a handful of dirt, revealing a hoard of shining coins. Dororo made a delighted noise but held back from taking any. Hyakkimaru wondered what Bandai had threatened or bribed him with. “This money is so my aunt can keep the town running, and for in case a disaster strikes. She just does it differently than other lords do.”

Somehow Kanekozo managed to make the ring of his bell sound confused. Hyakkimaru covered the money back up and patted the top of his head. He seemed pleased at the attention.

“That still doesn’t solve the problem,” Bandai growled. She was leaning against a tall bamboo stalk while Biwamaru stood a few paces away, observing the proceedings. “He’s gonna keep at it until someone claims it, which I’m not going to let happen.”

“Well, what if we claimed it?” Dororo asked. Bandai straightened and gave him a dangerous look which he didn’t seem to care about. “If we claim it as ours, then it’s totally cool for us to leave it with our aunt for safekeeping and to use for the village, right?”

Kanekozo gave a happy little bell ring.

“And you can even guard it and make sure no other humans try to steal it.” Dororo put his hands on his hips and surveyed the group, looking pleased with himself.

“That… would solve multiple problems at once…” Bandai sounded reluctant, but her face was more intrigued than offended now. “But he _has_ to stop ringing that damn bell all the time.”

Kanekozo grinned and rang the bell once more before fading into nothingness. Hyakkimaru blinked at the spot where he’d just sat.

“Do you think that means he agrees?” he asked Dororo, who shrugged expansively.

“He seemed pleased with your suggestion,” Biwamaru spoke up, scratching his head thoughtfully. “I never imagined that one could make such an arrangement with monsters before.”

“You have a poor imagination, then,” Bandai snapped. “We have aspirations and desires, same as humans. We’re not unreasonable.”

The monk gave her a penetrating look before he nodded.

“It seems I still have much to learn about the world.”

 

* * *

 

Bandai sent them off the next morning after a nice breakfast. She had given in to Dororo’s requests the night before and shown him her full demon form. The boy had told her she was a terrifying sight and demanded to climb on her. Biwamaru had spent the whole night looking moments away from having a heart attack the constant shock.

Before they left, Bandai handed Dororo a small bag with a wry expression on her face. He looked inside and back up at her, grinning broadly.

“As a reward for not stealing from me. Do share them with your brother, won’t you?”

“I will if he’s nice to me.”

“Brat, I’m always nice to you!” Hyakkimaru reached out to grab him, though he didn’t actually care about the contents of the bag or whether Dororo shared. Dororo ducked with a laugh and pulled a gooey, flour-covered lump of white mochi from the bag and shoved it into his mouth. They left the village on the same path they’d come, intending to make it back to the main road before deciding where to go next. Biwamaru cleared his throat, catching Hyakkimaru’s attention.

“You know, the way you two handled Kanekozo was… unorthodox, but beneficial.” He tilted his head in consideration. “Between your inside knowledge of how demons think and your brother’s… blatant exploitation of loopholes, perhaps you can use that skill to help solve other conflicts between demons and humans.” Biwamaru’s face was back to its usual “I know something you don’t” expression. Hyakkimaru sighed and scratched the back of his neck.

“I may know how demons tick but I’m not… good with people. I look pretty different, with all the replacement parts, and I tend to scare them off.” He pointed at Dororo, happily munching on mochi a few paces ahead of them. “Dororo gets a lot more mad about it than I do.”

Biwamaru made a thoughtful noise and said no more.

The walk was sedate and peaceful, only broken by Dororo offering each of them a mochi. They were delicious and soft, with smooth anko paste inside. Birds flitted around above them, chirping loudly. When they stopped by the river so Hyakkimaru could catch them some fish for lunch, Biwamaru finally spoke up.

“If practice with being around other humans is what you need, I may know of a place you can go. No one there would think to kick you out.” He poked at their small campfire with a stick, sending sparks into the air. “They may even enjoy your company.”

Hyakkimaru and Dororo shared a look. Dororo shrugged.

“Could be fun.” He leaned back against a rock. “’S not like we don’t have time.”

Hyakkimaru thought about it. Finding people whom he didn’t accidentally creep out was rare. The idea had appeal.

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No new demons appear in this chapter! I looked for any folkloric influence for Kanekozo, but it seems like Tezuka came up with him all on his own, from what I could find.
> 
> Thank you, Fetuscakes, for being such a patient and reliable beta reader
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated! Your feedback has been invaluable so far.


	9. Don't Be Such a Piss-ant(lion)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyakkimaru and Dororo meet Biwamaru's mysterious acquaintances and decide to help out with a bug problem they're having. Also, Hyakkimaru is twitterpated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In a surprising turn of events, this arc of the fic is based on how it happened in the anime :D :D :D  
> Because Mio _didn't have_ an arc in the manga :D :D :D :D :D
> 
> The lovely Aamu16 asked after the last chapter, regarding this upcoming arc, "Why do I feel like I'm in a rollercoaster and it's about to go _down_?"  
> >:3

“So how much trouble do you think they’ve gotten into so far?”

Jukai looked up from his wood carving at Hibukuro’s question. The man knelt in the vegetable garden, pulling weeds from between the burdock plants. Ojiya sat on the roof above them, checking for any loose shingles before the summer rains started. She snorted.

“They’re spreading terror and mayhem across the countryside, I’m sure of it.” She dangled her legs off the edge of the roof and tilted her face up towards the late afternoon sunlight. “I just hope that it’s nothing they can’t handle.”

“They do have the protection of the forty-eight most powerful demons in the country,” Jukai pointed out. “One of them is in Hyakkimaru’s sword. It’s everyone else we need to worry about.”

Hibukuro and Ojiya both laughed and made noises of agreement, and Jukai went back to carving the arch of a child-sized foot. He felt his mind slip back into the rhythm of carving the wood, checking for high spots, and carving more. When Hibukuro spoke again, he jumped in surprise and almost cut himself when his knife slipped.

“I hope they stay away from the battlefields. The rumors we’ve been hearing…” the former bandit shook his head. “I don’t want them to have to see that.”

Both men looked up when Ojiya made a worried noise.

“They may not have a choice. Sometimes battles spring up where you don’t expect them to.” Ojiya didn’t move, but Jukai could make out enough of her face to see her expression. She was getting lost in memories again.

“They’re strong enough.” He set down his wood and carving knife and stood, stretching. He needed to distract her and Hibukuro before they began to worry too much. “Now, my friends, I believe it’s time to start cooking dinner.”

He held his hand out and clasped Hibukuro’s forearm, hauling the man to his feet. He turned just in time for Ojiya to jump off of the roof towards them. Catching her around the waist, he set her down next to her husband. His wrist twinged in protest and he shook it out with a grimace.

“We’re getting old, I fear.” He gave them a rueful smile, and when Hibukuro nodded in agreement, Ojiya rolled her eyes.

“Speak for yourselves. I’m in the prime of my life, now that I’m not starving on some back road, or freezing on a mountain pass.”

She pushed past the two men and threw open the door with a purpose, leaving them to watch her retreating back fondly.

“After all these years, she still has me in awe.” Hibukuro leaned on his cane with a dopey smile. “She could kill me with her bare hands, and I’d let her.”

“We couldn’t have asked for a better mother for our sons,” Jukai agreed.

“Stop being useless and get in here!” Ojiya shouted from within the house.

 

* * *

 

“I absolutely don’t believe that this is the only path we could have taken,” Dororo grumbled as he clung to the side of the mountain and tried not to look over the edge of the path. Hyakkimaru very much agreed with him, but couldn’t afford to spare the concentration it would take to say so.

Biwamaru had led them from the main road to a rockier path which wound its way through steep hills and small mountains. From there he took a small offshoot path which hairpinned across the side of a low yet sheer seaside mountain face, which they were currently clinging to by their fingertips as the wind buffeted them. Hyakkimaru wasn’t sure what the monk was trying to prove. Maybe he was just trying to get them killed. The man in question didn’t seem bothered at all by either the height, the wind or the roaring crashing waves beneath them, and he continued strolling along the narrow trail as if it were any well-maintained road back on solid ground.

“When we get to the top,” Dororo huffed out as he panted, “I’m gonna kick his ass.”

The salty wind buffeted Hyakkimaru’s face as he struggled to keep his balance. “I’ll help.”

They did eventually make it to the top safely, though the skin on Dororo’s fingertips and the bark on Hyakkimaru’s was rubbed raw in places. He looked around curiously. They were at the top of a grassy bluff, though there were several trees dotting the landscape and acting as windbreaks. The wind still blew past, but it was bearable now. There were a few dilapidated structures from an old village in the distance.

“What was the point of bringing us up that way?” Hyakkimaru pointed towards the burnt-out houses. “I’m sure whoever built those didn’t use that suicide path.”

Biwamaru gave him an infuriating smirk.

“No, of course not. But it was faster, and I knew you could do it.”

Dororo made a rude gesture from where he’d flopped down into the grass. It was entirely lost on the blind monk, but Hyakkimaru appreciated it too much to scold him for it. Biwamaru let them rest for long enough to get their breath back before he led them through the grass and down into a more heavily forested area where, lo and behold, there was a wide road already built. They followed it to the base of a hill where a set of crumbling stone stairs led up through the trees.

“Up there,” Biwamaru pointed up the steps, “you’ll find the ones I told you about. They’re good people.”

“Where are you going?” Hyakkimaru asked as the monk headed further down the road. He flipped a hand lazily over his shoulder.

“I had heard that there were samurai armies massing nearby, so I’m going to check on that and try to find a good exit route. I’ll report back.”

He walked away, leaving the two boys at the base of the staircase in the late afternoon sunlight. They exchanged glances. Hyakkimaru made a “can you believe this guy” face and jerked his head in the direction Biwamaru had gone. Dororo made the same face and shrugged with his whole body. He jabbed a thumb towards the staircase, and Hyakkimaru nodded with a resigned sigh. It was what they came for, after all.

_Oh, thank Enma he’s gone._

“Be nice, Uncle Nihil.” Hyakkimaru inspected the worn-down stairs. They seemed safe enough, so he began to climb with Dororo right behind him. “I don’t know what these people we’re meeting are like.”

 _I’m a demon. “Nice” isn’t in my job description._ Despite his irritated words, Nihil quieted, though he didn’t retreat completely this time.

The trees lining the steps shaded them from the sun as they climbed. The hill wasn't overly tall, and when they reached the top they found themselves looking over the dilapidated courtyard of an old temple in an alarming state of disrepair. A number of small children ran around, playing some kind of keep-away game. Dororo and Hyakkimaru cautiously approached. One of the children, a young boy missing his left arm at the elbow, caught sight of them and halted.

“Who are you?” He stalked over to them with his hand on his hip. “What do you want?”

Dororo mirrored his posture, planting himself between the boy and Hyakkimaru.

“I'm Dororo, and this is my Aniki, Hyakkimaru. This weird old blind monk with a biwa told us to come here.”

The young thief grinned, and the other boy blinked at him in surprise.

“That guy actually exists? I thought for sure Mio-nee was making him up.”

Hyakkimaru snorted and covered his mouth.

“Who's Mio?” Dororo cocked his head to the side. The boy grinned and pointed towards the remains of the temple.

“She's our big sister, and she takes care of us all. She's sleeping right now because she works serving the samurai camp at night.” He jabbed his thumb at his chest. “I'm Takebo, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you. Would it be possible to spend the night here?” Hyakkimaru held up his bag. “We have our own provisions. Perhaps we can all share.”

Takebo's eyes went wide at the offer, clearly tempted, but his wary vigilance kept him from accepting right away.

“Well, maybe, but we have to check with Mio-nee first.” He looked up to the sky, checking the sun's position. “It's about time for her to wake up, anyway. Follow me.”

He ran off, leading them into the temple. Most of the inner rooms still had most of the roof intact above them. Takebo led them into a small room off to the side, where the noise level was much lower. On a tatami mat, a teenage girl was curled up, sleeping peacefully and emitting the occasional quiet snore. Takebo crouched beside her and gently shook her shoulder, calling her name. She grunted as she woke, eyes fluttering open and blearily focusing in on the boy.

“Ah, time to wake up already?” She sat up and smiled at Takebo. “Thank you for coming to get me.”

“Mio-nee, some new kids are here, and they want to spend the night.”

Mio blinked, then looked past Takebo to where the brothers stood on the room’s threshold. Hyakkimaru gave her an awkward wave. Dororo grinned and gave her a more enthusiastic one. She waved back, confused and tentative.

“Um… hello,” she said, mustering a small smile. “You need a place to spend the night?”

“If it isn’t too much trouble.” Hyakkimaru bowed, keeping eye contact. “I’m Hyakkimaru, and this is my otōto, Dororo.”

“Hi!”

Mio stood and approached them cautiously. Hyakkimaru was conscious of the fact that Dororo was wearing his hand-me-downs and both were in their oldest clothing— things they didn’t care about getting filthy during travel and the inevitable demon attacks— and he hoped that they weren’t scaring her with how unkempt they were. Her red kimono was threadbare and a little ragged, but she clearly took good care of it.

“We don’t have much,” Mio said, “But if shelter is all you need, then you’re welcome to stay.”

Hyakkimaru held up his bag again.

“We have some provisions we’d be willing to share in return for your hospitality.” He hazarded a small smile. “Also, I know how to hunt, if that’s helpful?”

Mio’s eyes widened.

“Oh, I couldn’t ask you to—” She cut herself off, clearly having difficulty deciding between politeness and the promise of a better meal for her siblings. “I— I mean, you shouldn’t feel obligated.”

Dororo rolled his eyes.

“Oh, let him do it.” He flapped a hand in the air. “He’s needed to blow off some steam since that monk dragged us up a cliff face on our way here, anyway.

“Monk? You mean Biwamaru sent you?” She tilted her head at Dororo. He nodded, and she smiled at him before looking back up at Hyakkimaru. “I suppose I can’t really turn down such an offer.”

For some reason, Hyakkimaru felt his face grow warm when she smiled at him. He cleared his throat and nodded, resisting the sudden urge to hide his face in his bangs. Dororo glanced between the two, an enormous shit-eating grin appearing on his mouth. Hyakkimaru didn’t know what it was about, but he was sure it meant trouble for him in the near future.

 

* * *

 

Dororo watched his brother interact with Mio as he helped her prepare a thin stew for dinner and, honestly, it was one of the funniest things he’d seen in a long time. Hyakkimaru had taken one look at Mio and his face had instantly turned into the same expression that Papa sometimes got when he looked at Mama— dumbstruck and sappy. The best part was that he didn’t even seem to _know_. He’d stumble over his words and a bewildered look would cross his face as if he couldn’t believe that had happened. She’d thanked him profusely when he’d handed her the two squirrels and the grouse he’d caught, and his face had turned the funniest shade of pink. He clearly had no clue what was going on with his own emotions, which was the only thing keeping this situation funny instead of annoying. Still, Dororo kind of wanted to stab his eyes out the third time Hyakkimaru tripped over thin air. It was so odd seeing him like this. Sure, his brother wasn’t a superb conversationalist, but he usually had a sense of confidence about him stemming from his demonic upbringing.

“You’re pathetic, Aniki, did you know that?” He muttered in his brother’s ear as they sat with the rest of the children in the temple’s main room to eat dinner. Hyakkimaru kept sneaking awed glances at Mio throughout the meal as she helped the youngest of the kids with their dinner.

“What are you talking about?” Hyakkimaru side-eyed him and took a large gulp of his stew, finishing it off.

“Oh, nothing.” If he couldn’t figure it out, no way was Dororo putting him out of their collective misery yet. “I don’t need a reason to tell you what I think of you.”

Hyakkimaru’s hands shot out and began tickling Dororo’s ribs, the empty bowl clattering to the ground. Dororo could barely move from the force of his laughter, so he ended up on his back with Hyakkimaru pinning him.

“Show your elder brother some respect, you brat!” Hyakkimaru grinned down at him. He stopped tickling but still held Dororo firmly with a hand on his sternum.

“Bully! Jerk! Meanie!” Dororo flailed, trying to knee Hyakkimaru where it would really hurt, but not having any luck since one of his wooden shins held Dororo’s feet firmly against the floor.

“My, you two sure are lively!”

Both of them froze and looked sheepishly up at Mio, who stood smiling above them, clutching a small bundle. She giggled at them, and Aniki's face went pink.

“I'm going to work,” she said. “Just ask Takebo if you need anything.”

“H— have a good night!” Hyakkimaru stammered.

Dororo rolled his eyes and muttered “pathetic”. Hyakkimaru slapped his shoulder. Mio cocked her head but didn't comment. With one last goodbye to her siblings, she left. Hyakkimaru watched her leave, so Dororo took the opportunity to wiggle out from under him. He wandered over to where Takebo sat and joined him. The younger boy eyed him.

“So why are you two out wandering the countryside, anyway? You don’t seem like war orphans, like the rest of us.” Takebo pointed at a couple of the other children. Dororo shook his head.

“Our aunt is getting married. We’re going to visit our other aunts and uncles on the way.”

“How many do you have?” Takebo leaned forward curiously. Dororo gave him a wicked grin and leaned in as well to whisper the answer.

“There’s forty-eight! Aniki and I haven’t even met all of them.” He mentally patted himself on the back for the dumbfounded look on the other boy’s face.

“What?” Takebo gaped at him. “That’s too many!”

“It’s true. You can ask him if you don’t believe me.” Dororo gestured to where Hyakkimaru was now covered in small children who poked and prodded at him with impunity. At least he seemed to be having a good time. Takebo watched him, eyebrows furrowed in thought.

“You know, at first I thought he was kinda creepy. Still do. But he seems nice.”

Dororo bristled at Takebo's words.

“Aniki's great! Don't you say anything bad about him!” He made sure to keep his voice low, not wanting Hyakkimaru to overhear. “People are always cold to him, 'cause of how he looks, but it isn't his fault! And maybe he says it doesn't bother him, but it should!”

Takebo had leaned further and further away from him as he ranted.

“Well, what happened to him, then? His arms and legs look like they're made outta wood.” Takebo watched as Hyakkimaru started braiding the hair of one little girl who had camped out on his lap. Dororo eyed Takebo, wondering how much to tell him. People tended to get really upset about demons, and he didn’t want to get them kicked out.

“He was born without them. Dad’s a doctor. He makes prosthetics.” Dororo’s words were misleading, sure, but it was easier to remember and stick to a half-truth than an outright lie.

“That must be nice,” Takebo murmured. Dororo thought he sounded a little wistful. He bit his lip, thought a moment, and elbowed him gently in the side.

“Anyway, tell me about your family. Mio seems really nice.”

Takebo grinned broadly and launched into a long, detailed explanation of all of the reasons his big sister was perfect.

 

* * *

 

Mio made her way back up the steps to the temple, the morning sun filtering through the trees and dappling the stone beneath her feet. She sang softly to herself as she clutched her bundle to her chest. The samurai had paid her well last night, though they had certainly gotten their money's worth. Now she even had enough extra food to feed their two guests.

Speaking of whom, she spotted Hyakkimaru sitting at the top of the steps, leaning back against his outstretched arms and face tilted up towards the sun. She stopped singing as she approached. He looked peaceful. When her song trailed off, he cracked an eye open and gave her a tiny smile.

“No need to stop on my account,” he said. “You have a lovely voice.”

She blinked.

“You heard me?” She asked. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish.

“Yeah, I have pretty sensitive hearing.” His cheeks had a light pink flush across them. “What… uh… what song was that?”

He sounded like he was actually interested in the answer, which was new for her. She tilted her head to study him. He gazed back at her with his strange eyes, not blinking or looking away. Without meaning to, she reached up and pulled the overlap of her kimono tighter around her collarbones.

“It's just a little song I like. I sing it when—” She cut off, bit her lip, and amended. “It makes me happy when I sing it.”

He nodded, a tiny smile on his mouth.

“Will you sing it now?”

No one older than Takebo had ever asked Mio to sing for them. Usually, they told her to shut up instead, if they paid any attention at all. She felt her cheeks warm and she ducked her head a little, a pleased smile making its way onto her face. Closing her eyes, she sang the first line softly but gained confidence when Hyakkimaru didn't stop her. She made it through the first verse and hazarded a look at him as she began the second. The look of wonder on his face made her falter on the words. Stuttering, she stopped singing, face heating further.

“Um...what are you doing awake this early?” she asked. “It's barely past dawn.”

Hyakkimaru gazed out past the staircase to where the main road was barely visible.

“I don't usually sleep that much, and it’s a nice morning.” He took a deep breath and let it out in a contented sigh. Mio watched him and waited, but he didn’t seem to have anything else he wanted to say. She cautiously climbed to the top step and sat down, keeping to the other side of the staircase from him. She didn’t want to crowd him.

“Did the kids behave last night?” She glanced over her shoulder at the temple, where everything was still quiet in the early hour. Hyakkimaru hummed in assent.

“It was kind of fun. I’ve never been around so many kids at once before.” He laid back against the flagstones of the courtyard and folded his arms behind his head. “Before Dororo joined my family, I would play with my cousins and the kids who came to my dad’s clinic sometimes, but it was mostly just me. Most people… I tend to make them… uncomfortable.”

Mio watched him as he gazed up at the brightening sky. There was something resigned and melancholy in his voice, but he looked otherwise content. She set her bundle down and scooted a little closer, just enough to lean over and look him in the eye. He shifted his gaze from the clouds to her.

“There’s definitely something about you that I don't understand,” she said, hoping to say what she meant without offending him, “but I don't get the feeling that you're dangerous.”

“You don't know that. We just met.”

“I'm a very good judge of character.” She grinned. He cracked a small smile back. She moved to stand, but her legs protested and she winced. Hyakkimaru immediately sat up and gave her a concerned look.

“Are you okay?”

“Just tired,” she lied. He stood and held out a hand to help her up. She glanced at it, then up at his face. There was no hint of guile there— just a desire to help. Tentatively, she reached out and took his hand. It was cool and smooth under hers, with no give like flesh had. He pulled her to stand and grabbed her bundle, handing it over. They stood facing each other awkwardly for a moment. The tension broke when a pattering of small footsteps across dirt caught their ears. Dororo ran up to them and, without so much as a “good morning,” slapped his brother on the arm as high as he could reach.

“What are you doing out here, dummy? You disappeared! Why didn't you tell me where you were going?”

Hyakkimaru sighed wearily and put a hand down on Dororo's head to scrub hard at his hair.

“What have I done to deserve this lack of faith from my own brother?”

Dororo gave him a look that said ‘you know exactly what you did,’ and Mio laughed softly. Hyakkimaru's face reddened. Sliding his hand away from hers, he let Dororo pull him back towards the temple. Mio followed, taking the opportunity to watch them. They acted carefree as they teased each other, but they had the same wary, watchful energy about them that she and her siblings had. Hyakkimaru moved with the grace of a trained fighter, though there was something different in his gait from the swagger of a samurai. He moved with more of a lithe grace. Dororo had the same manner that she’d seen in skilled pickpockets; he projected an air of easygoing nonchalance, but his eyes darted to take in his surroundings and assess threats at all times.

She still didn’t think Hyakkimaru was dangerous to her or the kids, but there was clearly more to learn about their strange new guests.

 

* * *

 

“Come on, I’ll show you how to find mushrooms!” Dororo was trying to coax Takebo and three of the other children into the forest with him, though for what reason Hyakkimaru couldn’t guess. “Uncle Minogame showed me how to find the best ones!”

“Your uncle’s name is ‘turtle’?” Takebo raised a skeptical eyebrow and leaned back against the force of Dororo tugging on his hand.

“Sure is! Come on, it’ll be fun!”

Takebo grumbled some more about having things to do, but it didn’t take long for Dororo and the smaller children to wear down his resolve. Hyakkimaru watched them go from his seat on the temple’s front threshold, the sun still low on the horizon as the morning fog burned away. Summer was fast approaching.

“How do they have so much energy this early?” He muttered softly, but Mio must have heard him because she laughed in an equally quiet voice. He and Dororo had been at the temple for three days now and, though they were doing their best to earn their keep, he worried that they were taking advantage of Mio’s hospitality. She sat nearby, inside the front hall with a small girl on her lap. He watched her as she sang softly to her little sister. Somehow, this was the most relaxed he’d ever felt in the company of people who weren’t family— even Ojiya and Hibukuro had taken a while to feel this familiar.

“They’re still young. Aren’t all children like that?” Mio glanced up at him. His lips twitched up.

“Yeah, but Dororo is special.” Hyakkimaru shook his head. “I guess we make a good pair.”

“You… you mentioned he’s not your blood brother?” Mio sounded like she wasn’t sure she was allowed to ask. Hyakkimaru turned where he sat to face her fully.

“No,” he said, “He and his parents moved in with my dad and me a few years ago when Aunt Mae brought them to the clinic. They just… never left.”

He folded his legs tailor-style and propped his elbows on his knees. Mio nodded in understanding.

“My siblings and I… none of us share the same parents, but we’re all from the same village. When it burned down and all the adults were killed, none of them had anywhere else to go, so… I took them here.”

“It’s pretty amazing, how you’re taking care of them so well.” Hyakkimaru smiled at the girl who had fallen asleep in Mio’s lap. He leaned forward and reached out to pat the top of the child’s head. Mio ducked her head, hiding her face in a curtain of hair.

“I do what I can, but I wish…” She trailed off. Hyakkimaru leaned down to try to see her expression, but she turned away further.

“What?” he asked, sitting straight again. Mio hesitated, but eventually she raised her head enough that he could see her wistful expression.

“Someday, I want us to have our own rice paddy that the kids and I take care of by ourselves. We can grow our own food, and we won’t have to give it to any samurai as taxes or bribes or anything. That’s what I want.”

Hyakkimaru felt a swell of affection in his chest and tried not to let it show on his face. He wondered if he would ever be as strong as she was.

“That sounds really nice. I bet you could do it if you tried.”

Mio looked at him fully again, a light dusting of pink across her cheeks.

“What about you?” she asked. He blinked.

“What about me?”

“What do you want, if you can find a way to get it?”

He leaned back, braced against his palms on the wood floor, and thought about it. What did he want?

He wanted his family to be safe and happy. He wanted to continue to travel with Dororo and see new things.

There had always been a part of him that wanted to track down his birth father and demand to know what kind of monster sold his own child to demons. He wanted…

“I want to find a place I can belong, I guess.” He sighed. “I don’t think I want to be a doctor and take over the clinic like my dad, but I don’t know what else I’d do. It’d be nice to still… help people, somehow, like he does.”

Mio was looking at him with a penetrating gaze as if she were trying to solve some mystery he'd presented. He shifted uncomfortably, feeling exposed.

The clack of geta on stones alerted them to a new presence. They both looked out the door to find Biwamaru approaching them with a wry smile on his face.

“Well, it sounds like you two are getting along.” He looked smug. “But I could have sworn there were more children around.”

“The youngest ones are still sleeping, but Takebo and a few others went with Dororo, looking for mushrooms in the woods.” Mio smiled up at him. “It's good to see you again.”

“Likewise,” Biwamaru nodded to her. “I have some news to deliver which may be of interest to both of you. Hyakkimaru, I believe your brother may want to know this as well.”

Hyakkimaru wasn't sure how Mio would react to him calling Dororo telepathically, so he got up and walked over to the trees to shout. A faint response filtered through, and soon Dororo burst through with the other children in tow. In his arms, his bag was overfilled with tiny mushrooms. A few of them tumbled to the ground as he ran, and the other kids scrambled to grab them, laughing.

“Aniki, look how many we found!” He skidded to a halt in front of Hyakkimaru and offered him his bag of mushrooms. As Hyakkimaru took it, Dororo waved and shouted a greeting to Biwamaru. The monk waved back with an indulgent smile.

“Hello again. Are you enjoying your stay?”

“Yep!” Dororo put his arm around Takebo’s shoulders. The younger boy frowned in resignation but didn’t resist the hold. Biwamaru nodded.

“Well, children, I have some good news and some… less good news. It looks like the samurai camps nearby are growing restless— I think they might move to fight one another soon. You may get caught in the crossfire if you aren’t cautious.” He gave Mio a significant look, somehow staring unerringly at her. A stiff nod and tensed shoulders were her only reaction. Biwamaru’s expression softened a little as he continued. “But I think I found a safer place where you could go. There may even be room there to grow rice.”

The atmosphere changed immediately. All of the children perked up and began chattering in excitement, and a hopeful grin made its way onto Mio’s face. Before the noise level could grow, however, Biwamaru held up a hand.

“There’s only one slight problem with the location.” He turned his attention to Hyakkimaru. “A monster of some sort resides there, guarding its territory. I wondered if perhaps you two could find a solution, as you did with the kanekozo.”

Hyakkimaru nodded, glad to finally have a concrete way to help. He handed the mushrooms to Takebo with a grateful nod.

“Right. Take me there, and we’ll investigate,” he said.

“Wait!” Mio moved her sister off her lap and stood. “You can’t just go fight a monster, not on our account!”

She rushed over and stood a few paces from Hyakkimaru, hands clutched to her chest in concern. Hyakkimaru gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

“I’ll only fight it as a last resort, I promise. Hopefully, we can come to an agreement before it comes to that.”

“An agreement?” Mio blinked, perplexed. Takebo scoffed.

“Everyone knows you can’t reason with demons! They’re as bad as samurai!” He put his hand on his hip. Dororo mirrored his pose and stared the boy down.

“Have you ever tried?” he demanded. Takebo’s stubborn expression faltered.

“Well, no, but I’m not dumb enough to!”

“Well, Aniki can do it. He’s done it before, and he’s killed lots of demons too!” Dororo reached up and tugged on Hyakkimaru’s right forearm, which stayed stubbornly attached to the rest of him. “C’mon, Aniki, show them!”

Hyakkimaru hesitated before he sighed and pulled his forearm off, showing off the blade. Mio’s eyes widened, but she didn’t move away. Some of the children made noises of wonder and shock.

“That’s so cool…” Takebo gasped, tilting his head to look at it from multiple angles. “It’s a great sword, too!”

He reached out to touch it, but Hyakkimaru sheathed it before his hand could brush the steel. Takebo pouted up at the teenager. Mio pulled him back towards her, scolding him softly. He looked up at her and frowned.

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” he demanded. She agreed easily, bidding them all a good day, though she hesitated before saying anything to Hyakkimaru. He tried to keep the disappointment off his face; he should have known he’d lose the tentative trust forming between them if he revealed too much. Wishing her a good rest, he turned to Biwamaru.

“When can we leave?” He ignored the curious and apprehensive looks the other children were giving him. Biwamaru raised an eyebrow at the sudden shift in the atmosphere.

“Give me some time to rest my feet, and I’ll show you the way.”

 

* * *

 

Hyakkimaru and Biwamaru left late in the afternoon. Before leaving, Hyakkimaru pulled Dororo aside and asked him to stay behind at the temple. Dororo started to protest, but Hyakkimaru held up a hand to hold him off.

“I need you to keep an eye on things.” Hyakkimaru glanced down the staircase as if he expected something to come. “If Biwamaru’s right and the samurai camps are getting ready to mobilize… well, you’re the only one who knows how to call me if something comes up.”

Dororo grumbled about it, but he didn’t like being so close to a bunch of restless soldiers, either.

“Fine, but you’d better be careful. I’ll kick your ass if this turns out not to be one of our uncles or aunts and you get hurt.” Dororo couldn't help worrying. His brother tended to be reckless about fighting demons, as if he thought he was indestructible. Who knew what sort of trouble he could get into without Dororo there to watch his back?

Hyakkimaru agreed with a chuckle and headed off with the old man in tow. At a loss, Dororo wandered over to where Takebo had a basket of laundry and began folding it with him. The mood had been a little tense since Dororo had made Hyakkimaru reveal the sword in his arm, though most of the children seemed more curious than scared. Dororo hoped this didn’t end with him having to kick someone’s butt behind Hyakkimaru’s back for badmouthing his aniki like it had a few times at home. Takebo kept sneaking him curious looks and he opened his mouth as if to speak a few times, but no words ever made their way out. It soon became clear that it was up to Dororo to break the awkward silence.

“So you guys are gonna grow rice together?” He winced at how forced that was. Takebo didn’t seem to notice, though, and he perked up.

“Yeah! Mio-nee came up with the plan. We’re going to have our own rice paddy, and we’ll finally have enough food for all of us without Mio-nee working herself to death to get it.” He held his fist up in determination. “That’s why we gotta try to help her out as much as we can. If we take care of all the chores here, then she’ll have the energy to work more and get the seed rice we need. We’ll be set!”

“Okay!” Dororo jumped up, putting the last of the folded laundry aside. “Tell me what I can do to help!”

They scrubbed the floors and swept the flagstones of the front courtyard as best as they could, roping the other children into helping where they were able. All the laundry got finished, and soon they were preparing the mushrooms for dinner. Dororo watched them simmer in the pot, enriching the thin broth. There had to be more he could do to help out. Mama and Papa were always adamant about repaying debts, especially to people who had so little to spare themselves, like Mio and the kids. His parents would be disappointed in him if he couldn’t find anything. Hyakkimaru was off negotiating— or fighting— with a demon to secure them a better place to live. Dororo couldn’t help with that, but perhaps…

“Hey, Take?” He turned to the younger kid. Takebo made a questioning noise, though he didn’t look up from the roots he was peeling. “What exactly does Mio do, working for the samurai? Is it something I could help with?”

Takebo shrugged.

“She said she helps to serve them, but the pay’s better at night, so it’s probably pouring them sake or something.” He frowned. “She won’t let any of us go with her to help, though.”

“Well, good thing she’s not the boss of me!” Dororo stood and gave Takebo a determined grin. “When she leaves tonight, I’ll follow her and help out! That way you guys can save up for that seed rice even quicker!”

Takebo agreed readily. He went to go wake Mio so she could eat before she had to work, and Dororo looked out towards where Hyakkimaru and the monk had gone. He hoped they were safe.

 

* * *

 

The area Biwamaru had indicated was about an hour’s walk down the road and up the side of another rise. There was a large flat area of dirt at the top with a single burnt-out house and a gigantic sinkhole in the middle.

“The monster is in there.” Biwamaru pointed towards the sinkhole. “It seems rather territorial, so be cautious.”

Hyakkimaru gave him a non-committal grunt and walked over to the edge of the sinkhole. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted into it.

“Hello? Anyone home?”

There was a great rumbling below his feet, and he had to back up to avoid sliding into the sinkhole as the dirt shifted. An enormous pair of pincers emerged, followed by a head with sharp mouthparts and beady yellow eyes.

“Go! Away!” The monster shouted, sticking a thin and spiky leg out of the earth and waving it like a human might wave their fist. Hyakkimaru stared.

“Uh, can we talk?” He asked. The gigantic insect growled menacingly, and Hyakkimaru took a few more steps away.

“Leave me alone, unless you want me to eat you! I live out in the middle of nowhere for a reason!”

“But—”

“ _Get off my lawn!_ ”

Hyakkimaru looked down at the bare dirt below his feet.

 _Arijigoku, you antisocial lump of chitin, is that any way to talk to our nephew?_ Nihil deigned to finally come out of his sulk so he could criticize the other demon.  Arijigoku stopped flailing. He pulled another leg from the dirt and levered himself high enough to see over the edge of the sinkhole. Tilting his head at Hyakkimaru, he fixed one compound eye on him and the other on Biwamaru. The monk looked apprehensive, though he made no move to pull out his katana.

“So you're him? The son of that man?” The insect clacked his pincers together. “You're very small.”

“Well, I'm a human. We don't get that big.”

Arijigoku made a noise which implied he wasn't convinced. Pulling himself the rest of the way out of his sinkhole, he quickly filled in all the loose dirt, packed it down, and flopped onto his newly-made mound.

“Fine, I'm awake now. What do you want? And make it quick.” Arijigoku folded his spindly legs underneath his thorax. Hyakkimaru bit his lip. He was starting to wish he’d brought Dororo; while Hyakkimaru had all the tact of a flying mallet, Dororo had an uncanny ability to get his way that rivaled the most clever of their aunts and uncles.

“Some friends of mine need somewhere to grow rice, where the samurai can’t get to them.” No point in bluffing, he decided. “This is an ideal spot if you’re willing to let them use it.”

Arijigoku made a rumbling noise and rubbed his pincers together.

“Friends of yours, huh? And why should I care about them?” he asked, belligerent. “Nobody asked me if I wanted a human nephew before taking you in. More humans just seem like more trouble.”

 _If you recall, Arijigoku, you have a piece of this human’s flesh, but you never bothered to come by and offer a replacement,_ Nihil scolded. _He’d be well within his rights to kill you and take it back instead of asking you for a simple favor as restitution._

“Where is that voice coming from?” Biwamaru asked, tilting his head and looking bewildered.

“Nihil,” both Arijigoku and Hyakkimaru answered. Neither elaborated.

“Look, I don’t want to hurt you if I don’t have to, but my friends are just kids. Most are younger than my brother.” Hyakkimaru crossed his arms and glared up at the insect.

“That doesn’t mean anything to me. I don’t know how humans age.” Arijigoku raised one of his front legs and scratched at a pincer. “And what’s this you say about samurai?”

“There are two opposing camps nearby,” Biwamaru said. “They seem ready to fight at any moment, and these children could get caught in between.”

“So what?” The insect nibbled at the forelimb. “More bodies to eat, and fewer people to bother me.”

Hyakkimaru moved to pull off his forearm and just stab the demon for that comment, but Biwamaru held up a hand to halt him. When he was satisfied that Hyakkimaru wouldn’t do anything rash, he spoke again.

“All they want is to live in peace. Same as you, I’d wager.”

Hyakkimaru looked at the old monk with raised eyebrows. Arijigoku lowered his leg and leaned in to study Biwamaru more closely.

“You have very little fear, for a human.”

“I’m old, I’ll die soon anyway.” Biwamaru shrugged. “May as well die trying to help.”

Arijigoku gave Biwamaru what could have been the insect version of an approving look. He swung his head around to face Hyakkimaru, who had to lean back to avoid getting whacked with a pincer.

“If I let these children come to farm this land, and the samurai do find them…” He fixed a beady eye on Hyakkimaru. “…I will be eating the samurai. They’re fun to crack out of their ridiculous metal shells.”

Hyakkimaru froze with his mouth open, having been about to argue with what he expected to be a threat.

“That’s— yeah, that works.” He nodded.

 _I knew you’d see sense._ Nihil radiated a feeling of smugness. _Trust me, human kids are fun. They’re almost as devious and conniving as we are._

Arijigoku grumbled again and turned to dig at the dirt. He managed to shift a large pile of earth to the side when he stopped.

“Do these children even know how to farm rice?” he asked. Hyakkimaru tilted his head and thought about it. “I’m not having them tear up my home if they can’t even do it properly!”

“Mio might…” he hedged. At the insect’s displeased clack of his pincers, Hyakkimaru shook his head. “Probably not. But surely they can figure it out, right?”

 _I’m sure Tamamo no Mae can find someone who’ll help,_ Nihil said, with an edge of mischief Hyakkimaru knew to be wary of by now. _She’s very good at finding the right people for a job._

Arijigoku clacked his pincers together again, tilted his head consideringly, and nodded.

“Very well. I’ll prepare this place tomorrow for your friends and find someone useful. Bring them the day after.”

He swiftly dug into his mound of dirt and disappeared.

_Not really one for manners, is he?_

“You’re one to talk,” Hyakkimaru scolded the sword. The sun had set and the early summer air was beginning to cool. He turned to go.

“It seems to me that you have a good handle on this situation,” Biwamaru said. “I feel confident leaving the children in your and Mio’s hands.”

“You’re leaving?” Hyakkimaru turned his head to look at the monk, who had a kind smile on his face. The old man nodded.

“I never would have believed it was possible had I not witnessed it, but you’ve accomplished something no other human has tried that I know of. Perhaps you could go into business as a human-demon relations mediator.”

He laughed and strode past Hyakkimaru, leaving the boy behind as he headed back down towards the main road. Hyakkimaru looked at the mound of upturned dirt and the small, burnt-out house nearby. It would take some work to make the place livable, but it was a good start.

He smiled a little bit, feeling better knowing that one of his uncles, reluctant though he may be, would be helping to keep them safe. He headed down the same way Biwamaru had left, hoping to make it back to the temple in time to catch a few hours of rest. The crickets had come out and sang in full chorus as he walked.

He was almost to the bend in the road that led to the temple stairway when the sound of tiny bare feet against the road caught his attention, and he pulled himself out of his musing to see Dororo hurrying towards him. His brother looked shaken and scared. A cold feeling of dread washed over him, and he prayed that nothing had happened while he’d been with Arijigoku.

“Dororo, wha—”

Dororo crashed into him and hugged him tightly around the waist, burying his face in his brother’s stomach. Hyakkimaru could feel panic working its way through his brain at this uncharacteristic behavior.

“Is something wrong? Did someone get hurt?” He put his hands on Dororo’s shoulders and pulled, trying to get his brother to face him. Dororo shook his head.

“No, it’s fine. I just… I saw something. It scared me.”

“You? Scared? Seriously, what happened?” Hyakkimaru finally managed to get a look at Dororo’s face. He didn’t look overly distraught, but he wouldn’t meet Hyakkimaru’s eyes. His mouth twisted into a grimace.

“I… I’ll tell you later, Aniki. Let’s just go back.”

Hyakkimaru didn’t like how subdued and upset Dororo looked, but he’d long since learned that pushing for information wouldn’t do him any good. He nodded silently. Dororo returned it, took his hand, and led him back to the silent, sleeping temple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New Demons appearing in this chapter:  
> \- Arijigoku, the demonic antlion larva from episodes 5 and 6 of the anime
> 
> You know the drill. Thanks, Fetuscakes!
> 
> Comments and Kudos are wonderful things that give me the will to live/write more! What do you think will happen in the next chapter? Am I cruel enough to kill off Mio and the children?


	10. Slice and Dice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moving day arrives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably my favorite chapter of this story that I've written so far. I nearly gave Dreamillusions and Fetuscakes aneurysms from the dramatic tension. Enjoy!

Jukai should have known that the quiet atmosphere couldn’t last long, even with the boys away from the house. He’d practically been asking for it, trying to enjoy the warm morning with a cup of tea before the heat set in. Staring at the field behind the house, he sipped his tea with deep resignation as the earth shifted, heaved, and sent great rumbling tremors through the porch below his feet.

Something crashed inside the house, and he spared a moment to hope it wasn’t their only teapot. Ojiya flung the door open and rushed out, halting next to the doctor to survey the fracturing ground before them. Hibukuro followed, and they all stared as the earth buckled as if pushed from beneath. Two large brown pincers thrust from the newly-formed mound, and Ojiya shrieked.

“What the fuck is that?!” she demanded, looking around as if for a weapon. Jukai sighed and drained his teacup.

“Hopefully, another one of the forty-eight, here to report on whatever trouble our sons have found themselves in. It’s too early for a demonic medical patient.” He gave her a dead-eyed stare which, oddly enough, didn’t seem to help her calm down. On her other side, Hibukuro didn’t take his eyes off of the creature as it emerged. He had a white-knuckled grip on one of their bokken.

The creature that emerged looked like an enormous antlion larva. A single segment of one of its legs was longer than Jukai was tall, and its enormous pincers dwarfed him entirely. It hauled itself out of the dirt, shook itself off, and fixed its gaze upon the trio.

“Which one of you is the bandit Hibukuro?” the demon asked. It sounded less than thrilled to be asking after the man. Hibukuro shifted.

“That’s me,” he said, raising his chin in defiance. “What of it?”

“Tamamo no Mae tells me you know how to grow rice.”

The humans all gave the demon matching stares of incredulity. Hibukuro’s posture relaxed out of pure surprise. Sharing a bewildered look with his wife and Jukai, he slowly nodded at the creature.

“Yes, I was a farmer, many years ago.” He scratched his chin. “But what does that matter?”

The antlion made a displeased noise.

“There are a bunch of kids who want to start a rice farm, of all things, on  _ my land _ , and they don’t have any clue how.” He clacked his pincers together in what Jukai guessed was a show of annoyance. “If that glorified letter-opener and our nephew hadn’t pulled the ‘you owe me for taking my body’ card, we wouldn’t be in this situation, but as it stands, I need your help.”

“I should have known Hyakkimaru would be involved in this somehow,” Jukai sighed. “Well, he’s not going without the rest of us. Give us some time to pack and lock up.”

“Jukai!” Ojiya protested, grabbing his arm as he moved to go back into the house. “We can’t just leave the clinic unattended, and at the word of a demon we’ve never met before, no less!”

Hibukuro studied the demon before them.

“Why does a group of children need your help— whoever you are— with starting a rice farm?” he asked. “And how is Hyakkimaru involved in this? Was Dororo there too?”

The demon clacked his pincers again and waved vaguely with a foreleg.

“I dunno, I didn’t ask. Something about being in danger of getting caught in the fighting between two groups of samurai, and them being young, for humans? Luckily your kid seemed pretty amenable to me eating those armored nuisances.”

The adults all looked at each other.

“Dear?” Ojiya said.

“Yes, honey?” Hibukuro raised an eyebrow.

“Get packed. We’re helping those kids.”

 

* * *

 

Hyakkimaru was, once again, awake in time to greet Mio as she returned from work. She gave him a tentative smile, and she didn’t seem like she was too afraid of him, but he kept a respectful distance nonetheless. She seemed tired and her steps were tentative as she climbed the stairs, as though she were sore. He hoped that she could rest well today and that the news he had would help her spirits.

“How was work?” he asked, shifting aside to let her pass. Instead of walking by, though, she stopped and gave him a curious look.

“It… was productive.” She clasped her bundle tightly. “What happened with the demon?”

Hyakkimaru let a slight smile creep onto his face.

“Well, he wasn’t too happy about being disturbed, but after reminding him that he owes me a demon’s version of a debt of honor, he agreed to let you start a rice farm there. He’ll even find someone who knows how to farm to help, and he’ll eat any samurai that get too close.”

“Eat… the samurai?” Mio murmured. Hyakkimaru remembered that most people didn’t joke about their relatives doing that, and he winced.

“Ah, yeah. He… well, he needs to eat too, you know. His name is Arijigoku, by the way.” Hyakkimaru rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at the stairs. Mio’s bare feet were dirty and scuffed, and she had a bruise on her right ankle. He looked away.

“But… we can really go there?” her voice had a note of tentative hope in it which hadn’t been there before. Hyakkimaru raised his head to see her face again, and her eyes shone with that same emotion. “We can start our farm, and no one will try to take it?”

Hyakkimaru nodded. She grinned widely.

“That’s incredible! I can’t believe you talked a demon into that!” she tilted her head, and the smile morphed into a puzzled expression. “But what do you mean, that he owes you? Had you met before?”

Hyakkimaru wasn’t sure how much he should tell her. He somehow hadn’t scared her off yet, but there was a big difference between telling his life story to a curious six-year-old whom his aunt had brought home and to a teenage girl acting as the mother figure to a group of vulnerable children. Lying to her seemed worse, though. He stared at his bare toes, noting that the bark was scuffed in a few places.

“Arijigoku is one of the forty-eight demons that were sealed in the Hall of Hell. My… blood father made a deal with them before I was born, and they each took one of my body parts.” He kind of wanted to look and see how she was taking this information, but he knew if he did he wouldn’t be able to finish. He shoved his hands into his sleeves. “A few of them kept me alive and brought me to my dad. Most of the forty-eight contributed to replacing the body parts that got taken, but since some handled multiple parts, a few demons didn’t show up or contribute anything.”

“So… they owe you because they took your body and not your father’s, even though he made the deal?”

Hyakkimaru shrugged.

“That’s about the gist of it.”

Mio was silent for a long time, and eventually, Hyakkimaru had to look at her when his curiosity grew too strong. To his surprise, she didn’t look scared or pitying. Instead she had a small smile on her face.

“Come on.” She climbed the last few steps and walked past where he stood. “Let’s go tell the children the good news.”

 

* * *

 

Mio watched fondly as the children raced around the temple, gathering their few possessions and helping Hyakkimaru bundle them for travel. They led him to their secret stash of katana they’d taken from the bodies of dead samurai, proudly showing the blades off to the teen. He carefully sheathed each one, even the rusty and useless ones, and put them with their belongings. Somehow, this turned into the children begging Hyakkimaru to show them some of his sword moves. He sent Mio a questioning look. She waved for them to go ahead. They had very little to pack, anyway. They could afford to spend a little time having fun.

Hyakkimaru made the children stand back. Mio watched in fascination as Dororo helped him pull off both forearms, exposing two shining katana blades. The younger brother held them close and wandered over to where Mio sat as Hyakkimaru showed the children some basic stances.

“He’s pretty cool, huh?” Dororo asked, watching his brother. Mio hummed in agreement and watched him. With her sitting in the doorway and him standing on the ground, he was still shorter than her, but he carried himself with a brash and confident air. He held Hyakkimaru’s forearms as one might a bundle of firewood. A few strands of hair had pulled free of his ponytail and hung around his ears.

“You’re lucky to have such a good brother,” she said. He raised an eyebrow and gave her a quizzical look. “He seems like he really wants to help.”

“Yeah, he does.” Dororo reached around the prostheses he held to scratch his nose. “Not a lot of people see that, though.”

“Why not?” Mio cocked her head, watching Hyakkimaru. He was so careful near the kids. Yesterday he’d seemed eager to go talk to the demon on their behalf and, though she’d initially been stunned at the sight of a sword within his arm, she still couldn’t find it in her to suspect him of any ill intentions.

“They don’t bother to look,” Dororo grumbled. He shifted his feet nervously, staring at his brother. “You know, your siblings are lucky to have you, too. Everything you do for them…”

Mio saw his refusal to look her in the eye, his nervousness and way of hedging around the topic, and understood what he was getting at.

“You saw.” Her voice was soft, with no anger or reprimand, but he still looked ashamed as he nodded. Dororo clutched the prostheses closer to his chest.

“I didn’t mean to. I followed you because I thought I could help you earn money.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Mio smoothed her kimono down across her thighs. “I’m not ashamed of what I do.”

And she wasn’t— not really. She didn’t enjoy it, but she was smart enough to know that the alternative would be letting her siblings starve. That really would be something to be ashamed of. She gave Dororo a small, rueful smile when he finally looked at her.

“You’re a very smart kid, to understand what you saw.”

Dororo fiddled with the fingers of one of Hyakkimaru’s hands.

“That was the one thing Mama always refused to do, back when we were living on the road.” He grimaced. “One time Papa told her that he’d understand and wouldn’t be angry if she accepted some of the offers she got, so she punched him and they didn’t talk for two days.”

“Your mother must be very strong.”

“Yeah, well, we probably would have starved by now if Dad and Aniki hadn’t taken us in.” He met her eyes again, and his jaw was set in a determined expression. “I didn’t tell Aniki about it, so you decide if you want to or not. But remember, you’re strong too, Mio! You haven’t given up!”

Mio blinked at him before a wide grin spread over her face.

“Thank you, Dororo. Now, what do you say we go finish getting everything ready to move?”

Dororo gave her a watery smile and ran off to go bully his brother into getting back on task. Standing slowly, Mio stood and made her way over to the group.

“Mio-nee, go to bed already!” Takebo scolded her. “We can handle the packing.”

“You look tired.” Hyakkimaru, arms back in place, studied her. “Takebo is right.”

Mio nodded easily, hoping to assuage their worries.

“I will. Don’t worry.” She pushed some of her hair behind her shoulder. “I think that if I work at both camps tonight, we should have enough to buy the seed rice we need.”

“Both camps? In the same night?” Takebo’s eyes widened. Behind him, Dororo and Hyakkimaru exchanged nervous looks.

“Won’t that be dangerous, traveling between the camps?” Hyakkimaru asked. He had point, of course, but she’d been doing this for years. She knew how to be discreet.

“I’ll be careful, I promise. The more I can earn, the better, right?”

Hyakkimaru looked unconvinced. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but something in his eyes changed and he closed it again without any words escaping. Instead, he nodded and stepped back. She hadn’t noticed that he’d been so close before.

“You’re right. Sleep well, Mio.”

Dororo looked like he wanted to protest. He didn’t, though he shot Hyakkimaru a betrayed look when he agreed to her plan. For his part, Hyakkimaru nodded to her politely. The relaxed air he’d had with her the morning before was gone, and Mio watched in confusion as he returned to the pile of katana and began gathering them up as she went into the temple. She wondered if he’d figured her out but didn’t have the same pragmatic view on the matter that his little brother did. As she laid down to sleep, her chest twinged a little at the thought that she may have lost the respect of one of the few people she wanted it from.

 

* * *

 

“We should start moving things now so there’s less work tomorrow.” Hyakkimaru surveyed the small pile of belongings in the front room of the temple, keeping his voice low so he didn’t disturb Mio. It had only taken them until mid-afternoon to make sure everything was packed together in the most efficient way.

“Do you think the demon’s back with whoever he was going to find to help?” Dororo asked, tying the bundle of swords tightly so someone could carry them as a unit. “I wonder who would even be willing to help, anyway?”

Hyakkimaru thought about it. Most people wouldn’t be very amenable to helping to teach a demon and a group of orphans how to farm rice, but what did he know? Perhaps Aunt Mae really could find someone. She’d found Dororo’s family, after all. He grabbed a large bundle of clothing, blankets, and miscellaneous cooking implements and swung it over his back. Dororo picked up the sword bundle.

Hyakkimaru wondered if he should be worried about how close his brother was keeping those swords.

Takebo ran up to them.

“Wait, don’t leave yet. I can help.” He reached for one of the other bundles, but Hyakkimaru stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Wait, Takebo. We can’t all go.” When Takebo looked like he wanted to protest, Hyakkimaru shook his head. “With Mio asleep, who’ll keep an eye on the other kids?”

The boy pouted heavily as he nodded and stepped away.

“Fine, but don’t take too long.” He put his hand on his hip and stared up at Hyakkimaru. The teen nodded and readjusted the bundle on his back.

“Come on, Dororo. Let’s go.”

Dororo trotted behind him, shouting a promise to return soon at the kids behind them. It was a long walk to the new location, but they managed to set a good pace, and they arrived in under an hour.

“Hello!” Dororo called, cresting the ridge and surveying the landscape. Hyakkimaru noted that Arijigoku’s burrow had been neatly filled in with dirt and packed down. The demon stood atop the flattened area, but with his back turned to them it wasn’t clear what he was doing. Craning his neck in an effort to see around the insect, Dororo shouted again. “Hellooo, Arijigoku! We’re here!”

Though Arijigoku ignored them, a familiar woman sidled out from behind him, and Hyakkimaru decided that he really should have known Aunt Mae would pull something like this.

“Dororo, Hyakkimaru! There you are! We were wondering when you’d show up.” Ojiya shouted, walking towards them.

“Mama!” Dororo dropped his bundle of swords and raced towards her, flinging himself into her arms. “Mama, what are you doing here?”

Ojiya picked him up and placed him on her hip, hugging him close.

“Something very strange happened this morning,” she said as she reached up and tapped his nose. “A giant insect popped out of the ground and asked your papa if he knew how to grow rice. When we heard you two were involved, we all had to come and see for ourselves what sort of trouble you’d caused.”

“It’s not like we did this on purpose.” Hyakkimaru accepted a one-armed hug from her, although he couldn’t reciprocate while holding his bundle and the swords Dororo had dropped. “Dad and Papa are here too?”

“They’re over by the house, if you can call it that.” Ojiya looked disapprovingly at the structure. “We’ll likely have to camp out for a while until we can build something better.”

Hyakkimaru didn’t think any of the kids would have a problem with that, given what they were used to. Ojiya brought them around to where Hibukuro and Jukai stood, watching and directing as Arijigoku dug a large, shallow depression in the dirt, which would presumably become the paddy itself. Hyakkimaru set down his load and approached.

“How’d you convince him to do that?” Hyakkimaru sidled up between the two and watched in awe as the antlion accepted a suggestion from Hibukuro with only minor grumbling. 

“He didn’t want to wait all the time it would take for us to do it,” Jukai said. He reached out and pulled Hyakkimaru into a hug while Hibukuro took Dororo from Ojiya’s arms. Arijigoku soon finished digging the pond and turned to ask what was next. Upon seeing Hyakkimaru, he huffed.

“Oh good, you’re here. Come to rub it in?” He asked. Hyakkimaru raised an eyebrow.

“No, why would I do that?” He smirked. “Nihil might, though.”

_ Gimme a few minutes, I’m trying to think of something really scathing. _

Before the demons could begin to argue in earnest, Hibukuro cleared his throat.

“We need to collect as much leaf litter as we can get, to help fertilize the seeds. Do you have them?”

Hyakkimaru shook his head.

“Mio said she’d have them after tonight.”

“Fine. Well, boys, get to it. If you’re here, you should help out.” Hibukuro set Dororo on the ground and shooed them into the trees. Ojiya and Jukai followed them, and they gathered large armfuls of half-rotted leaves from the forest floor. Soon they had a large mound of leaf litter piled near the dry pond while Arijigoku made progress on digging an irrigation trench. Hyakkimaru looked up at the sky and noted how late it had gotten.

“I need to get back. Mio will be going to work soon and with all those samurai around, I don’t think the kids should be alone.”

His parents all nodded, but Dororo pouted heavily.

“Already?” he whined, hand clinging to Ojiya’s kimono. Hyakkimaru nodded but gestured for him to remain where he was.

“You stay here if you like. Catch our parents up on what’s happened.”

Dororo brightened at the prospect, though he tried to posture and claim that he didn’t need to stay if Hyakkimaru needed him. Hyakkimaru just shook his head and walked back towards the road with a wave over his shoulder.

“Nah, I’ll see you in the morning. Dad, Mama, Papa, don’t let him take any of those swords. I saw him thinking about it.”

Dororo screamed a denial at him as the adults murmured in unsurprised agreement.

Hyakkimaru didn’t make it back in time to catch Mio before she left, but Takebo assured him that she had rested well and that he hadn’t let her help with the cooking. When he tasted what Takebo and the kids had made, Hyakkimaru could definitely tell. He ate it gratefully, though. The kids were all curious about where Dororo was, which led to him having to explain the situation of his and Dororo’s parents being the ones Arijigoku had brought to help with the farm.

“We’re gonna meet your parents?” one little girl asked, looking skeptical at the idea. “What are they like?”

Hyakkimaru spent a few hours telling them as many fun anecdotes as he could remember about his parents. These kids hadn’t had an adult presence in their lives for a long time, but he hoped he could convince them to trust these adults. When night fell, he stayed close until all of the children were asleep before he went to sit on the steps down to the road and wait for Mio to return.

 

* * *

 

Hyakkimaru woke with a jerk, sitting up from his slumped position and trying to figure out what had awoken him. In front of him stood Mio, looking surprised to see him there.

“Were you waiting there all night?” she asked. He nodded sheepishly and stood, stretching his neck to work out the kinked muscles.

“I wanted to make sure nothing happened while you were gone,” he said.

Mio tilted her head and studied him, and he tried not to squirm under the scrutiny. He wondered if this was the part where she thanked him for his help but told him that she didn’t need the help of someone so strange anymore. It wouldn’t be the first time.

“You really shouldn’t sleep sitting up like that,” was her reply. He tilted his head at the unexpected comment. When he didn’t respond, she continued, a little awkward. “I mean, I don’t really know, but I imagine that it’s terrible for your back…”

Despite his doubts— and the fact that his spine was a gift from a gashadokuro— he smiled at her concern. She returned it and, seeming to remember something, she dug into her bundle and brought out a small fabric pouch the size of her fist. Her tentative smile widened into a true grin.

“Look, I got the seed rice! Now we really can start our farm!” she looked so genuinely happy and relieved that Hyakkimaru laughed to see it on her face.

“That’s wonderful!” He wanted to reach out and— he didn’t know— pat her on the shoulder or something to congratulate her. Instead, he gestured for her to lead the way up the rest of the stairs and into the temple’s quiet courtyard. It was still early enough to be dark out, though the horizon showed traces of light in the east.

Mio stumbled on the last step. Without thinking about it, Hyakkimaru reached out and caught her around the waist, and she hissed in pain. Her bundle tumbled to the ground, scattering the items within, though luckily the pouch with the seeds was tied tightly enough not to spill. Hyakkimaru let her go and jumped away. He held his hands up, palms forward, and apologized furiously for hurting her.

“No, it’s fine, I just— it was a long night, and…” Mio winced, “some of the soldiers aren’t as gentle as others.”

Hyakkimaru still held his hands close to his chest, trying to figure out what she meant. Mio clutched her kimono tightly around her collarbones and stared miserably at her dropped bundle, making no move to retrieve it.

“I… I understand if you don’t want to be close to me. I’m not… pure.” Her eyes flashed as she glanced up, but she looked down again immediately, facing the ground. “...And I haven’t been for a long time.” Even though she was already looking at the ground, she turned her face. “I’m doing what I have to.”

She sounded so resigned, it made Hyakkimaru want to slap himself. Her words clicked in his brain, finally. He thought he understood what she was getting at. Sick at the thought that he might have given her the wrong idea, he dropped his arms and shook his head rapidly.

“No, I don’t care about that. I just thought—” he swallowed. “I thought you would be scared of me, now that you know who— what— I am. I wouldn’t blame you.”

It was Mio’s turn to look confused. She gazed at him, eyes piercing as they tried to see more than the surface of him. He stood up straight and let her. Tentatively, she took a step towards him and, when he didn’t move, another, until she stood close enough that he could see the speckles of gold in her deep brown eyes. She reached out hesitantly with her left hand and took his right, bringing it upwards to rest her cheek in the wooden palm. Telegraphing his movements, he reached up with his left and, when she gave him the barest hint of a nod, mirrored it on the other side of her face. She was still giving him that same searching look.

“It’s strange,” she said, “how I don’t hate these hands touching me.”

There was a world of meaning in those words. Hyakkimaru closed his eyes and placed his forehead against hers, feeling her sigh. With his eyes closed, he could see her soul more clearly as it burned with her resolve.

“Your soul is still white,” he replied. She made a sound halfway between a laugh and a sob.

They could have stood there for minutes or hours for all he knew, but it was still the dark of predawn when a sound startled him into opening his eyes. He drew away from Mio and stepped between her and the stone stairs, watching in horror as a group of more than a dozen soldiers marched up and stopped at the top, looking around as if they owned the place. The one in front, clearly in charge, stepped towards him.

“You! Boy! Hand over the spy, and we might let you live.” The soldier pointed at Mio and held out his hand, as if he was expecting that Hyakkimaru would just push her. Hyakkimaru spread his arms protectively and backed up until he covered Mio with his body. When the leader realized that he was doing the opposite of handing her over, he spat on the ground and placed a hand on the hilt of  his sword. The other men followed suit. The soldiers advanced and formed an impenetrable barrier between them and the stairs, cutting off their escape. Hyakkimaru weighed his odds. He’d never fought so many enemies at once before.

_ Dororo! _ he mentally shouted.  _ Dororo, the samurai found us! _

A wave of panic spread over their mental link as he felt Dororo wake.

_ Aniki? What do you mean? What’s happening? _

“There aren't any spies here.” Hyakkimaru glared at the soldier, trying to figure out what answer to give Dororo and how to get out of the situation.

“This girl came to our camp to sell herself, but she came from the Sakai camp! We have orders to kill any suspected spies. Now move, before I cut you down as her accomplice.” The soldier leered at the teenagers in front of him.

Hyakkimaru gritted his teeth. He wanted to shout for the children inside to wake and run away, but if he did that, he would just turn them into targets.

_ There’s a lot of soldiers, trying to kill Mio. They think she’s a spy! _

There was a burst of swearing from Dororo’s end, but Hyakkimaru had to tune his brother out as the soldier in front of him drew a sword and leveled it at his throat.

“Last chance, boy,” he warned.

“Mio, get out of here. I’ll hold them off, but you gotta get the kids to safety.” Hyakkimaru hissed the words at her, low enough that only she could make them out. He felt her move behind him and her footsteps on the ground told him she’d done as he’d asked. The soldier in front of him shouted in anger.

“I knew it! You’re conspiring!”

He swung the sword in an arc meant to take off Hyakkimaru’s head, but he hadn’t trained with Nihil since he was six for nothing. He brought his right arm up and blocked the blow, hissing as the blade bit deep into the wood. Dark crimson sap, nearly black in the low light, dripped down the edge of the blade. Taking a sick sort of pleasure at the soldier’s stunned face, Hyakkimaru pulled his sword free of the forearm. He used the soldier’s surprise to his advantage. In one swing, he parted the man’s arm at the elbow and sent the blade and two forearms clattering to the ground. Nihil crowed in triumph as the man stumbled backward, howling in pain.

The other soldiers took this as their cue, jumping forward to attack as one. Hyakkimaru was grateful that they were all focusing on him with their attacks instead of going after Mio, but it quickly became overwhelming to fend off so many at once. He pulled out his other blade, letting Nihil guide his movements. Unable to pay any attention to where he dropped his forearm, he put all his focus into fending the soldiers off.

“There she goes! Don’t let her get away!” one of them shouted, and a few of them broke off from the melee to chase in the direction where, presumably, Mio was fleeing with the children. Hyakkimaru screamed in outrage and slashed violently at the men closest to him, felling them. He tried to pursue, but more blocked his way. He screamed again.

“Leave her alone!” His blades moved wildly, and he didn’t know if it was him or Nihil landing the most effective blows. It didn't seem to matter, though. It was all he could do to keep blocking and occasionally land a hit. He watched in horror as the group pursuing Mio drew closer to her, and he knew he would be too late.

A great rumbling shook the earth, and Arijigoku burst from the middle of the courtyard. His pincers snapped up the nearest men and crushed them, and he threw the bodies aside before moving on to the next ones. All the remaining soldiers watched in horror before screaming and trying to scatter. Hyakkimaru took advantage of their distraction to cut down a few more closest to him. He was vaguely aware of human figures sliding off of Arijigoku’s back, but he didn’t have time to pay attention to that. He had to kill all the soldiers, it was the only way to protect everyone. He kept swinging his swords, cutting down opponents, until he was face to face with only one. The man who had threatened him and Mio first was now a quivering mess sitting in a pile of his own urine as he clutched the bloody stump of his arm to his chest. Hyakkimaru advanced on him, and the man scooted away as best as he could.

“What kind of monster are you?” he whimpered. Hyakkimaru growled.

“ _ Fuck you! _ ” he spat. “You’re the monster!”

He could hear Nihil in the back of his mind, urging him to kill the pathetic worm. He wanted to follow that advice. It felt like the best course of action. With a snarl, he raised his right arm to deliver a blow, but a sudden tight grip around his waist halted him.

“Aniki, no! He’s wrong! You’re not a monster!”

Hyakkimaru’s arm froze in midair. He looked down to see Dororo clutching him tightly, staring up at him with tears in his eyes.

“Aniki, they’re safe! Please, let’s just go!”

Hyakkimaru’s eyes flicked between the soldier and his brother, and he slowly lowered his arm. He noticed the blood dripping down the edge of the blade and onto the wood, where it soaked in.

He kind of wanted to be sick.

The man in front of him on the ground still whimpered pathetically and, though Hyakkimaru still thought he’d be better off killing the man, Dororo had snapped him out of whatever rage had taken hold of him. This man was no longer a threat, and with luck, he’d bleed out soon anyway. Hyakkimaru worked some saliva into his dry mouth and spat at the man’s feet.

“Get out,” he hissed.

The man scrambled away as quickly as he was able.

Hyakkimaru’s knees gave out, and he nearly collapsed onto Dororo. Another set of arms grabbed him. These arms were large, and warm, and had always meant safety to him for as long as he could remember. He looked up into his dad’s solemn face.

“Dad,” he croaked, tears leaking from his eyes as he realized what had just happened. He’d almost died. Mio had almost died. He’d killed people. “Dad, I’m sorry.”

Jukai nodded and gathered him into his arms, carrying him like a child. Hyakkimaru kept his swords carefully away from his dad’s body until Dororo located his forearms and handed them over one at a time. The right one still sluggishly leaked red sap from the sword wound. He wound his arms around Jukai's neck and tried not to shake too badly.

“You're safe, son. We're all safe,” Jukai murmured, moving to carry him back towards the temple. Hyakkimaru remembered something, and he stiffened.

“Wait, Dad, put me down, I gotta find—”

He struggled, and his dad set him back on the ground. Hyakkimaru ran over to where he remembered Mio dropping her bundle and the pouch of rice. They had been kicked around a bit. Some of the rice had spilled from the pouch, which had a cut in the fabric, but it hadn't scattered far. He gathered up every grain he could find and held it in his palms, unsure where he could safely put it. Crouching next to him, Jukai held out his floppy hat for Hyakkimaru to pour the rice into. Hyakkimaru gripped it tightly closed and looked around for Mio.

He finally spotted her off to the side of the temple, surrounded by her siblings and standing next to Ojiya and Hibukuro. On shaky legs, he stood and rushed over to her. Dororo and Jukai trailed behind him, making worried noises. Ojiya looked up from wiping the blood from the katana blade she held, ready to fend off another attack, but her shoulders relaxed when she saw her sons and Jukai approaching. Hyakkimaru recognized the sword from the ones the kids had hoarded.

“Mio,” Hyakkimaru said, holding out the hatful of rice like an offering. “Mio, did they hurt you?”

Mio had her hands over her mouth and her shoulders hitched as she tried to keep her breathing steady. She shook her head.

“No, I'm— I—” she made a choked sobbing noise as fat tears rolled down her cheeks. “I almost got everyone killed. They could have—”

Ojiya slid the katana into the saya she'd put in her obi and gathered the distraught girl into her arms, making gentle shushing noises and rubbing her back as she cried.

“You're okay, sweetheart. It's okay.” Ojiya murmured, maternal instinct out in full force. “Everyone is safe now.”

The other children didn't quite seem to know what to do. They clustered around Hibukuro, who crouched nearby holding one of the youngest girls as she cried as well. The end of his long cane was bloody and had what looked suspiciously like a piece of scalp stuck to it. Takebo ran up to Hyakkimaru, and though he kept sneaking worried looks at Mio, he tugged on Hyakkimaru's sleeve until the teen bent over and pulled him into his own embrace, the hatful of rice still clutched in his hand. Dororo wormed his way in as well. Jukai gathered up his own armful of children so no one was left out.

They stayed there until the sky turned gray with silvery dawn light.

“We need to get going before anyone comes looking for the missing soldiers.” Hibukuro was the one to break the silence, looking over to where Arijigoku sat prying the armor off of the last body and munching quietly on the exposed flesh. The man looked vaguely ill at the sight. “Is everyone here?”

Hyakkimaru did a quick headcount and made a noise of affirmation.

“Good,” Hibukuro nodded. “We should grab the rest of the stuff and head out. It's going to be a long trek with so many young ones and my bad legs.”

“What, I'm good enough to ride into battle but not good enough to use as a pack horse?” Arijigoku asked, sounding offended. “Just get on my back, humans. The sooner we get there, the sooner I can go sleep in my burrow.”

The antlion belched and coughed up a gauntlet which had escaped his notice when he'd swallowed the arm it had covered. Not a single body part remained on the ground. At his urging, they soon had everyone situated on top of the massive insect. Ojiya held Mio tightly in her lap. The girl had passed out, exhausted from the night and her crying spell. She now leaned heavily into Ojiya's shoulder, breathing steadily. Arijigoku took them back through the tunnel he'd dug and tamped down the dirt at the exit when they arrived, sealing the hole. He ambled off to the space behind the house and buried himself in another hole. Hyakkimaru handed the rice off to Hibukuro, who grunted out a “thanks.”

“Is she okay?” He asked Ojiya, watching with worry as she carried Mio bridal-style. He still had Takebo clinging to his torso and Dororo clutching firmly at his sleeve. She sighed.

“She’s exhausted. She’s been working herself half to death, I’m sure.” Ojiya gave him a sad smile. “But I think, with some rest and good company, she’ll be fine.”

She took Mio to a small grassy area near where the forest began. The cold remains of the campfire sat amid some bedrolls arranged in a circle. Ojiya laid Mio down in one of them and bundled her securely in the blanket. Hyakkimaru put Takebo in another and, though the boy seemed reluctant to let go, he did when he felt the softness beneath him. Hyakkimaru didn’t go far. He snuggled into the one he knew belonged to Jukai and was unsurprised when Dororo crawled on top of him and clutched at his clothes. Satisfied they were all safe, Hyakkimaru drifted off.

 

* * *

 

Hyakkimaru and Mio both slept through most of the day after their ordeal, and the sun had passed its zenith when Mio awoke on a bedroll she had no memory of. Sitting up, she took stock of her surroundings and tried to remember where she was. The area was unfamiliar. The last thing she remembered was crying into that unknown woman’s arms, and she had no idea how she’d gotten here, but Hyakkimaru was asleep in a bedroll next to hers, curled up to face the ashes of a campfire. She couldn’t be in much danger if he’d let his guard down.

The events of that morning slowly came back to her as her foggy brain shook off the last vestiges of sleep. As she watched, Hyakkimaru’s chest rose and fell evenly in sleep. He had fought like nothing she’d ever seen before. He had a predator’s grace tempered with a feral strength, unlike the samurai’s refined and codified swordplay. Perhaps she could understand why he’d thought she should be afraid of him. She wasn’t, though.

Even when she’d been sure she was about to die, she’d trusted him. She had seen him in the temple courtyard fighting over a dozen men, trying to protect her and the kids. If only she hadn’t put him in that position in the first place.

She felt a whimper try to claw its way out of her throat as she remembered whose fault it was Hyakkimaru had needed to protect them, and she drew her knees to her chest. If only she’d listened about the danger of working both camps. If the demon hadn’t shown up with Dororo and those unknown adults in tow, she and the kids would probably be dead, and Hyakkimaru would have killed people in vain. She rested her forehead against her knees and bit her lower lip hard.

She was such an idiot. Her fingers gripped the fabric around her knees as she tried not to cry. She couldn’t remember much of what had happened after Hyakkimaru had come over to her, splattered in blood and holding the rice out to her. Kami-sama, she hadn’t even had the presence of mind to take it; she’d simply broken down crying.

“Mio?”

The voice was soft and tentative. Mio looked up to find Hyakkimaru sitting up on his bedroll, watching her awkwardly. Mio wiped her hands across her eyes to make sure she didn’t have any tears on her face.

“Good morning— or, good afternoon, I suppose,” she greeted him. He glanced up towards the sky as if only just noticing the time. When he looked back at her, his brows furrowed. She watched him as he tentatively scooted a little closer until he was just barely in arm’s reach.

“Are you…” He tilted his head at her. “How do you feel?”

She was about to give him the same bland answer she might give anyone who asked such a question, but hesitated. Why say something they both knew was a lie? His concern was clearly genuine. She lowered her knees and sighed.

“I’m… tired,” she settled on saying. It was true. She had been tired for a long time, for many different reasons. “But I’ll be okay.”

Hyakkimaru nodded, though he didn’t look like he quite believed her. 

“What about you?” She asked, wanting to divert some of his scrutiny. He blinked, looking a little startled before he turned his head away.

“I’ve never killed a human before,” he admitted. Biting his lip, he didn’t say anything else.

Mio scooted a little closer. Tentatively, she reached out and laid a hand on his where it rested beside him. He looked down at their hands, up at her face, and back down. A small smile twitched onto his mouth as he turned his hand over to curl his fingers around hers.

_ Maybe, _ Mio thought,  _ it really will be okay. _

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Dororo?”

“Yeah, Aniki?”

When Hyakkimaru didn’t answer, Dororo looked over at him. They sat together on what was left of the house’s front porch and enjoyed the relative calm. In the warm afternoon light, Hyakkimaru looked rested and content. One might never know from looking at him what had happened that morning. Dororo followed his line of sight to where several small children trailed after Jukai like ducklings while Mio sat with Ojiya, talking quietly. Dororo gently elbowed his brother.

“Well? Spit it out,” he ordered. Hyakkimaru huffed and gave him a half smile.

“It’s just… I think we just acquired  _ a lot _ more siblings.”

Dororo couldn’t deny that. It was pretty clear to him from the moment they’d gotten settled here that he was no longer the baby of the family, if the protective looks in their parents’ eyes were any indication.

“Well, that’s gonna make it awkward when you and Mio get married.” He gave Hyakkimaru a sly look, satisfied when his brother flushed crimson and began sputtering.

“What— I— Dororo! What are you talking about?”

Dororo cackled and ran away before Hyakkimaru could grab him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No new demons appear in this chapter, though I do mention my favorite yokai of all time, the [Gashadokuro.](http://yokai.com/gashadokuro/)
> 
> Thanks for all of your help, Fetuscakes!
> 
> Comments and Kudos are the only things keeping me from ending it all at this point


	11. Interlude: Oh Mae, How Devious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As far as Tamamo no Mae is concerned, any human foolish enough to deliberately draw her attention to them deserves whatever nasty schemes she comes up with for them. This is why you always read the fine print before making a deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter wouldn't exist without the help of Dreamillusions and Fetuscakes, who helped me brainstorm, and KillerGirlFuria, whose comments on chapter 5 gave me the initial idea to build on. Thank you guys so much for lending me your ideas!
> 
> That being said, if anyone else has an idea for another one of these interludes, feel free to toss them my way.

“Ōjo-sama. It isn’t safe for someone of your status to be so close to a recent battlefield.”

Tamamo no Mae reached up and tilted her sugegasa back from her face to meet the eyes of the man on horseback. She and two of her packmates were on the road just outside the thriving town, disguised as a traveling noblewoman and her two retainers. They had, in fact, just spent the night on the battlefield with the rest of their pack, dancing under the moonlight and enjoying the feast left behind for them.

The man before them was human, at least nominally so. His face had hardened and had far more careworn creases than when she had seen him in person last. And of course, there was the scar on his forehead. It had healed into a shiny, puckered red X-shape. His soul was shot through with red as well. He seemed to have aged far more than the three years that had passed since their deal, but she could be misremembering how humans age.

Tamamo no Mae inclined her head at him— not subservient, but acknowledging his status.

“My retainers are skilled at eliminating any threat we may come across.” She indicated the two beside her. “And we are experienced travelers.”

Daigo Kagemitsu eyed them as though he weren’t convinced.

“Where do you come from? You don’t wear the Asakura crest.”

“Heian-Kyō. And before that, far to the west.” She gave him her best courtly smile— the same one which had once earned her a place at an emperor’s side. Daigo merely frowned a little.

“Few refer to the city by that name anymore.”

“I’m afraid I tend to be rather old-fashioned at times.” She tilted her head. “Was there something you needed, my lord? We must reach the inn before nightfall.”

She may have put a little too much power into the glamor she projected. Daigo’s eyes went slightly glassy before refocusing, and he gave her one sharp nod.

“You may stay at my manor tonight. I would be a poor lord indeed if I made a visiting noblewoman sleep in an inn like a commoner. Perhaps you and my wife can talk together.”

He jerked his head to indicate that she and her retainers should follow and nudged his horse to continue into town. Tamamo no Mae’s packmates looked at her questioningly, and she tipped her hat back down to hide the sly smile spreading across her face.

That had been easier than she’d thought it’d be.

 

* * *

 

Daigo gave them a wonderful set of guest rooms with a view of the river from the window. Tamamo no Mae inspected the sitting room and eyed the decorations with distaste. The man had done well for himself, now that he had the power and prosperity he craved, but he lacked style. She found herself longing for the old tastes of Emperor Toba’s court. With a nostalgic sigh, she set her sugegasa on one of the heavily lacquered and inlaid tables.

“Wait here for me,” She ordered her companions. They complied, and she strode officiously through the hall and into the inner courtyard of the manor. No one thought to stop her, with her magic and the lord’s invitation convincing them that she had every right to be there.

High, childish laughter made her ears twitch, and she changed direction to inspect the source of the noise. Around the side of another building, she found a group of three children leaning over a koi pond, watching the fish swim and tossing bits of leaves and food in for them to gobble up. The youngest, a small boy in fine clothing, giggled loudly each time he tossed in another small, clumsy handful. His aura was unmistakable.

Tamamo no Mae raised an eyebrow. Perhaps she should have been keeping better tabs on Daigo. This child couldn’t be more than a year younger than her nephew— his father certainly wasted no time, did he?

She tapped her chin as she watched the children. Daigo’s deal was for dominion over the country and for prosperity, and humans tended to consider the existence of an heir a large part of the latter. Per the terms of the deal, she couldn’t outright take this child away from the lord, no matter what she thought of his parenting skills. Daigo needed an heir for the demons’ end of the deal to be valid, and she certainly wasn’t going to give the bastard her nephew back.

She grinned as a thought occurred to her. There was nothing to say she couldn’t… sway the child’s loyalties, or prevent his father from giving him any younger siblings. That she’d found him at such a young and impressionable age could be a boon. She folded her hands behind her back and wandered over to the children. The older two looked up— a boy and a girl only a few years older than the young heir. Tamamo no Mae watched as they closed rank around him, shielding him from the newcomer. The heir, of course, noticed and turned. He saw Tamamo no Mae from between his companions and grinned, waving a little hand above his head at her.

“Hello!” His friends shushed him before turning their suspicious gazes back on the fox. She raised a hand to hide a smile in her sleeve.

“Good evening, young lord,” she said, inclining her head. “I am a guest of your father’s, but I seem to have gotten lost.

The two older children looked at each other quizzically, but Daigo’s heir slipped past them and trotted up to her on chubby toddler legs.

“I’m Tahōmaru!” he shouted up at her, giving a clumsy bow.

Tamamo no Mae inclined her head.

“How old are you, Tahōmaru-sama?” she asked, maybe a little mocking. The boy giggled at the honorific.

“I’m two!”

He held up three fingers, and one of his friends, the girl, reached out to lower one. Tamamo no Mae wondered if Daigo had let his wife heal from childbirth before conceiving his new heir.

Against her better judgment, she found herself softening towards this boy. Most human children were annoying, sticky things, so she attributed this emotion to his relation to her nephew. She could work with this. She crouched before him, making sure to tuck her tail under so it didn’t show.

“Well, young master, would you care to show me around?”

Tahōmaru and his friends showed her what they deemed to be the most important parts of the manor— the best tree for climbing, the best places to hide, and of course, the kitchen. The cook gently chided the three children and sent them away, but once they were out of sight Tamamo no Mae handed each of them a sweet she had taken without the cook’s notice.

Children were so easy to sway.

“You should meet my mother!” Tahōmaru chirped, mouth full of sticky anko paste. “Come on!”

He grabbed Tamamo no Mae’s hand and guided her through the courtyard to another room. The door already stood open, and inside a woman sat with an embroidery piece on her lap, though she ignored it in favor of staring wistfully at a small shrine.

“Mother!” Tahōmaru called. When she didn’t answer, he shouted louder. “Mother!”

The woman blinked and turned her head towards the doorway, smiling when she saw her son. He dropped Tamamo no Mae’s hand and toddled towards her, nearly falling into her lap. She greeted him softly as Hyogo and Mutsu followed him, making worried noises.

Tamamo no Mae had to stop in the doorway, the presence of the shrine making her feel vaguely ill. She wasn’t going to risk being forced into her true form if she got too close. Tahōmaru’s mother looked at her curiously, and she inclined her head respectfully.

“Your son has been showing me around, as your husband invited me to stay.” She gave The woman her most demure smile. “Perhaps you would grace me with your presence as well.”

The woman stood and bowed. Tahōmaru’s friends ushered him away to go play elsewhere, and his mother stepped forward to greet her guest.

“I am Nui no Kata, the lady of this house. Welcome.” She gestured to indicate that Tamamo no Mae should follow her. “What brings you to our home?”

“My retainers and I have been traveling. You may call me Mikuzume.” She still felt a sense of fondness for that old name.

Nui no Kata gave her a more thorough tour of the grounds than her son had, and they talked about banal things. Tamamo no Mae got the sense that her companion was a little distracted.

“I couldn’t help but notice that you had a shrine in your rooms,” Tamamo no Mae said. “You must be quite pious.”

Nui no Kata looked morose rather than pleased at this assessment, making the fox raise an eyebrow.

“I… do pray daily to the Goddess of Mercy… for my son…”

“He seems to be doing quite well, ōjo-sama.” Tamamo no Mae looked over to where she could see Tahōmaru directing his friends in some complex, made up ball game. Nui no Kata shook her head in disagreement.

“No, for my first son. For… his soul.”

Well, that certainly went some way towards explaining things. Tamamo no Mae had long wondered over how Hyakkimaru had survived for so long—  even with their intervention, he probably should have died— and at the bright white spark at the core of his soul flame that never seemed to dim no matter how much time he spent with demons.

“You pray for a son you lost?” Tamamo no Mae tilted her head in thought. If Daigo’s wife still hadn’t moved on from the loss of her child, and at her husband’s hands… well. The wedge was already there. What would happen if she tapped on it?

Nui no Kata ducked her head, her long hair hiding her face. Perhaps she was tired of keeping it inside, or perhaps Tamamo no Mae’s glamor had a little too much magic in it again, but the entire story spilled out of her— from her husband’s cruel words and his preoccupation with his successful deal to him forcing her to set her baby adrift on the river in a cypress tub. Tamamo no Mae hadn’t thought the man would be so careless as to tell his wife what he’d done to their son, but it seemed that she really had to stop overestimating him.

“My son didn’t even have the comfort of dying in my arms…” Nui no Kata hid her face in her sleeves. “And I can’t let Tahōmaru know. He looks up to his father so much…”

“Why not?”

Tamamo no Mae’s words made the lady look up, expression puzzled and miserable. The fox continued, keeping her voice light for all the barbs her words contained.

“There is nothing wrong with remembering your first son, but doesn’t Tahōmaru deserve to know all his family history? He will be lord someday, and he needs to know of his father’s failings as well as his successes.” Tamamo no Mae gave the other woman a hard look. “And I should think you need someone to talk about it with who isn’t a stranger. You've dwelt on it alone for too long.”

Nui no Kata looked mortified, her face reddening.

“I’ve been terribly improper, haven’t I?” she asked. Tamamo no Mae gave her a small smile. She liked it when humans dropped their pretenses— it was much easier to get under their skin that way. Reaching out a hand, she gave the other woman a sly wink.

“I don’t mind improper, ōjo-sama.”

Nui no Kata blinked at her in confusion before a small, self-deprecating smile twitched at her mouth, though her cheeks were still red. She laid her hand demurely on Tamamo no Mae’s.

“In that case, please call me Onui.”

Tamamo no Mae grinned in triumph. Oh, this new scheme of hers was going to be _fun._

 

* * *

 

Tamamo no Mae didn’t stay for long during that visit, but she found herself frequently visiting the town after that. Keeping tabs on Daigo felt prudent, and he tended to leave a trail of bodies in his wake, so she moved her pack’s home base into the forest outside the city. She suspected that the increase in skirmishes at the Daigo-Asakura border had something to do with the younger pack members and their tricks, but she let them have their fun. She wasn’t complaining about all the samurai bodies to eat, either. The man kept conquering and shedding blood, and his domain expanded with every new battle.

She found herself in the company of Onui and Tahōmaru frequently, as she made a point to “pass through town,” as it were, every few months in between training Hyakkimaru and causing trouble elsewhere in the country.

Approximately a year after her first visit, she “ran into” Daigo for the third time and he requested an audience with her. She stood with her retainers in the front room of the guest suite she regularly occupied, waiting patiently for him to show up. As she studied her nails, she wondered if he would still have the gall to keep her waiting if he knew who she really was. Convinced as he was of his power granted by their deal, she suspected the answer may be “yes”.

When Daigo entered, he stood stiffly and stared down at her as though his height advantage could intimidate her.

“You have… provided me a service, though you may not be aware of it.” His words were stilted, as though they’d been dragged from him. Tamamo no Mae raised an eyebrow. “My wife has been in much better spirits since you began visiting. I believe that your friendship has been beneficial in… pulling her out of her melancholy.”

Tamamo no Mae nodded and put on her best sympathetic air.

“Yes, I had heard rumors of what the loss of your first child did to her, but did not know the extent of her grief until I met her. Perhaps someone who would listen to her was just what she needed.”

Daigo narrowed his eyes, unable to discern whether her words were a slight against him or not. They were, of course, but he didn't need to know that yet.

“Yes… well, in thanks for your help, I would like to extend an open invitation to stay at my house whenever you come to town.”

“My Lord, you honor me.” She bowed low and did her best not to snicker.

 

* * *

 

“I’ve been keeping tabs on that man,” Tamamo no Mae said without preamble one afternoon. Jukai looked up from taking inventory of his herb supply.

“‘That man’? You mean…” He looked over to where Hyakkimaru slept on the futon, exhausted from a morning of exploring the riverbank with Minogame.

“His blood father, yes.” Tamamo no Mae shifted on her haunches and leaned down to nose at the boy’s hair. “As we have held up our end of the deal, his land and people have prospered, and he has had a taste of the military success he craves. Of course, his land is overrun with demons, since he unsealed us from the Hall of Hell, but I don’t think he really cares about that.”

Jukai set the herbs aside and gave her a scrutinizing look. After four years, he thought he’d gotten better at reading her, but he was probably fooling himself. She stared him down like the predator she was as she continued.

“You want to know the funny thing about demon deals?”

He didn’t— not really— but he suspected she would tell him anyway.

“You humans are able to break your promises and contracts with a single action and face no more repercussion than simple revenge from the other party. We demons… we’re physically unable to break our contracts. They’re woven into the magic of our beings.” She shifted to human form and reached out to stroke Hyakkimaru’s hair. They never could tame it, and as her hand passed through the locks they sprang back from where they had flattened. “But that merely means that we have gotten rather… creative about sticking to the exact wording of a contract, and no more. You have to be careful what you wish for when dealing with demons.”

“So what, exactly, are you saying? Have you… found a loophole?”

“For myself? No, not necessarily.” She sighed. “However, if certain people close to this man were to… find out relevant information that he’d withheld, and decide their loyalties— of their own volition, mind you— based on this… well. That would simply be karma catching up to him.”

Jukai sighed deeply and went back to his herbs. He really didn’t want any details, but…

“It sounds like you’re putting a lot of effort into messing with a single human. Why? Is it simply because he made a deal and unsealed you?” He reached up and scratched his beard. “I figured that a ruthless warlord would be the sort of human you’d appreciate.”

Tamamo no Mae scowled deeply at him and shifted back to fox form so she could bare her teeth more effectively.

“In the world of warfare, I am an assassin's blade, while that man is a blunt hammer. He’s a disgrace. If he lacks the cunning to recognize my subterfuge, then he shouldn’t have come to us for help in the first place.” she sniffed. “It’s in my nature to toy with humans. Especially those who deliberately put themselves in my path.”

Despite her words, three of her tails curled around Hyakkimaru, which he snuggled into with a soft contented noise. The fox’s face softened and her snarl dropped, lips covering her teeth again. Leaning down, she sniffed at his forehead before giving it a perfunctory lick. Jukai noticed all of this but elected not to say anything. Either she wasn’t aware of her true motivations, or she wasn’t willing to admit them to a human.

He’d just wait for the opportunity to say “I told you so” to someday arise.

 

* * *

 

When Tamamo no Mae entered the Daigo manor’s courtyard, she didn’t expect for a five-year-old Tahōmaru to swing a stick at her as he yelled a high-pitched battle cry. She caught the improvised weapon and gave him an unimpressed look. Tahōmaru pouted. Tugging a little on the stick, he completely failed to remove it from her grasp, so he let go and crossed his arms.

“Mikuzume-sama, I have to train!” he whined. Tamamo no Mae tilted her head.

“With a stick? Don’t you have a practice sword?”

“Sensei won’t let me use it outside of the dojo, but it’s closed and I gotta train more!” Tahōmaru had a mutinous glare on his babyish face, and Mae kind of wanted to pinch it, just to make him angrier.

“Why do you need more training? Are you doing so poorly in the dojo?” She smirked at him, and he turned red.

“No! I can beat anyone there!” he insisted, waving his little fists in the air. “I need to get better so I can beat demons too!”

Tamamo no Mae stilled, her face dropping its air of mischief. She let the stick fall.

“And why are you going to do that, young master?” her voice was cold. Tahōmaru noticed, dropping his arms and eyes widening a little. He didn’t cower, however. Instead, he fixed her with a hard stare.

“Mother told me demons took my brother. I’m gonna avenge him.”

“That’s quite an extraordinary claim, Young Master. Is that all she said?” Tamamo no Mae glared in the direction of Onui’s rooms. Tahōmaru shifted uneasily, and when the fox looked back down at him, he wouldn’t meet her eye.

“Well, no, but…” He pouted heavily. “But what she said about Father can’t be right!”

“Oh, you believe your mother lied to you.” She tapped her chin. “I can see how that would upset you.”

“No, I—” Tahōmaru didn’t continue, pursing his lips together and stomping his foot in frustration. Tamamo no Mae gave him a curt nod and stepped around him.

“Right,” she said. “Let’s go clear this up before you decide to attack me with another stick.”

The light thumps of Tahōmaru’s tiny feet on the grass followed her to Onui’s room, where the door again stood open to let the faint summer breeze through. The lady of the manor smiled when they entered, setting her book aside and standing to come to greet Tamamo no Mae where she stood in the doorway.

“Mikuzume-sama. Good to see you again.”

Tamamo no Mae greeted her in turn. She looked down at Tahōmaru, who was gazing at his mother with a complicated expression, caught between happiness at seeing her and a troubled frown.

“Tahōmaru tells me you finally told him about your husband selling your first-born to demons.”

Tahōmaru’s head whipped around to look at Tamamo no Mae in shock.

“You _knew?_ ” His eyebrows furrowed accusingly. Tamamo no Mae gave him a little smirk.

“Young Master, has there ever been a time you knew something before I did?”

Tahōmaru frowned harder and looked away. Onui crouched down to his eye level and reached out to gently tip his chin up.

“What’s wrong? Did the story upset you?” Her tone and eyes were soft. Tahōmaru nodded, still frowning, and she tucked a strand of his wild hair behind his ear. “That wasn’t my intention.”

“What you said about Father was mean!” he sniffled a little.

“Is it mean to tell the truth?” Tamamo no Mae kept her voice neutral. Both mother and son looked up at her curiously. She put her hands into her sleeves and stared at the shrine which kept her from entering the room. Onui no longer prayed to it so obsessively, but it still held a place of honor. “Would you rather your mother lied to you to spare your feelings? Or that she hadn’t told you at all?”

Tahōmaru shook his head and moaned out a little “no,” turning back to his mother and falling into her chest. She looked a little startled, but she gathered him into her arms and stood to face Tamamo no Mae.

“Perhaps I was wrong to tell him so soon. I should have waited.”

“No!” Tahōmaru shook his head emphatically and leaned back in her arms to angrily pat her face with his small hands. “I wanna know! And I wanna kill those demons for taking my brother!”

Onui laughed nervously.

“You’re a little young to fight demons. It’s dangerous.”

“I don’t care!” Tahōmaru puffed up. “I hate them!”

Onui’s eyes wrinkled at the edges with sadness, and she hugged her son tighter. Tamamo no Mae studied the other woman’s face, how her brow furrowed with sorrow and her mouth tightened. Her shoulders drew up and the way her fingers clutched at Tahōmaru’s clothing told the fox about her lingering fears.

“Do you hate the demons, Nui-sama?” Tamamo no Mae asked. Onui looked up at her.

“They took my son.” She shook her head. “So, yes, I suppose I do.”

Tamamo no Mae pursed her lips, considering. Humans could be so stubborn about their refusal to see their own hypocrisy, but forcing it to light in the wrong way could destroy the plans she’d spent three years building towards. Not long compared to her full lifetime, but she hated to waste her efforts.

“You hate the ones who took him, but what about the one who offered him up?” Her tone was soft, sweet, and curious, for all that the words were barbed. Onui’s brow furrowed. She looked away from Tamamo no Mae’s penetrating gaze.

“I— I’m not sure I follow,” she stammered. The fox kept her face pleasant for all that she wanted to smirk.

“It’s just something I’ve wondered about. You don’t hate the cat for killing the songbird, but you might have reason to hate the one who opened the birdcage.” She bowed at the waist and turned to leave. “I must be going. Please take care.”

Onui managed a small yet polite farewell as Tamamo no Mae slid the door shut behind her. She only managed a few steps down the wooden walkway before Hyogo and Mutsu appeared from around the corner, glaring fiercely up at her. Mutsu stepped forward.

“What are you playing at?” The ten-year-old, who had recently begun punching anyone who called them “she,” demanded. “Why are you trying to make them hate Daigo-dono?”

The demon quirked her eyebrows at Mutsu’s protective stance in front of their brother and their mutinous expression.

“Were you listening for long, then?” she asked. Hyogo had the grace to look sheepish as he stood behind his elder sibling, but Mutsu just set their jaw and waited for a better answer. Tamamo no Mae finally let slip the smirk she’d been holding back. “Tahōmaru is to rule his father’s lands one day. He should know the means his father used to gain them. If the truth happens to be unpleasant, then that’s something Daigo-dono should have considered beforehand.”

She stepped neatly around the two children and left the manor, shifting to fox form the moment she was hidden from prying eyes. Kami-sama, but humans were tiring.

 

* * *

 

Tamamo no Mae leaned her hindquarters back against one of the bridge’s piers and eyed Minogame disparagingly.

“Did you only call me out here so you could complain?” She raised a hind foot to scratch behind one ear. “Because if you want advice, you’ll have to go to Jiromaru. This is something he actually has experience with.”

Minogame snorted and gave her a scathing look from where his head poked from the river’s surface. Tamamo no Mae ignored him, instead inspecting her foot to find the ragged claw she had felt against her scalp. She nibbled at it delicately.

“Play dumb all you want, Furball, but I’ve seen you with our nephew.” He somehow managed to pull his beaked face into a smirk. “And don’t think I haven’t heard the rumors from all the imps you’ve let loose into that man’s house. This new scheme involving the brother… and the mother as well. Scandalous.”

Mae let a hint of a growl escape her throat. Minogame’s smirk widened. Huffing, Mae settled to lay on her belly on the sandy riverbank, folding her tails around her.

“Fine, tell me all about this child you found,” She grumbled.

“I didn’t _find_ her; she fell down the hill into my pond and just sat in the water, laughing. She’s a fool with no adult supervision. That magistrate is a disgrace if he can’t keep an eye on his own—”

Minogame cut off as a large crab scuttled past. It had a ball clutched in its claws, which it held triumphantly above its head. A child burst from the bushes and ran past in pursuit, shouting angrily as he went. Skidding to a halt, he turned to look back at Tamamo no Mae, who had already shifted forms and stood leaning against the pier. Minogame did his best impression of a mossy rock.

“Mikuzume-sama!” Tahōmaru’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Wasn’t there just…”

He craned his neck to peer behind her, looking for the fox he’d glimpsed. Tamamo no Mae raised an eyebrow. Though he looked like he wanted to say something else, Hyogo and Mutsu chose that moment to come crashing through the bushes sheltering the riverbank.

“Young Master!” Hyogo panted, drawing level with his small charge. “Please don’t run off like that!”

“What were you thinking, disappearing like that?” Mutsu took hold of Tahōmaru’s hand as if they thought he’d escape them again. They spared a glare for Tamamo no Mae. Though it had been a full year since they’d confronted the demon about their suspicions of her, their distrust hadn’t decreased at all.

Smart kid, that one. Tamamo no Mae gave them a mocking smile and nod of greeting. Their glare deepened.

“That crab stole my ball!” Tahōmaru whined. “We have to find it!”

He moved to run in the direction the crab had gone, Mutsu’s death grip on his wrist be damned, but he paused. The crab stood next to Tamamo no Mae, holding the ball up and tilting its eyestalks this way and that. It set the ball down between its forelegs and clacked its claws together. Tahōmaru reached for the ball, but the crab grabbed it again and backed up a few steps. When Tahōmaru pulled back his hand, it came forward. Tamamo no Mae snickered into her sleeve.

“He wants to play with you,” she explained when the children gave her three identical looks of confusion. “He can smell his fellow demons on you and he thinks you’re his friend.”

“How could you possibly know that?” Mutsu demanded, stepping between the demons and their charge. The crab’s claws drooped in disappointment and Tamamo no Mae gave her an impassive smile.

“Everyone knows of the small demons invading Daigo-dono’s home. And when one has traveled for as long as I have, spotting them becomes child’s play.” she tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Oh, but that’s right, Tahōmaru has sworn vengeance against all demons on his brother’s behalf. Playing with one rather than killing it would be terribly improper…”

The crab shot her a betrayed look and stepped back. Tahōmaru’s wide eyes darted between Tamamo no Mae and the crab. Biting his lip, he made a frustrated sound.

“The ones in the house are really annoying… but they haven’t hurt me or Mother…” His words were cautious as he weighed the issue with his six-year-old’s logic. “If this one just wants to play…”

“Young Master, no!” Hyogo cried. “You can’t possibly think this one is harmless. It’s still a demon.”

Tahōmaru looked troubled. The crab, sensing that he wasn’t in immediate danger, stepped forward. Hyogo and Mutsu immediately closed ranks to shield Tahōmaru, but the crab stopped a few human paces from them and set the ball down, pushing it forward. He clacked his claws expectantly. The ball hit Mutsu’s shoe and they leaned down to grab it, handing it over to Tahōmaru.

The crab looked at the children with more hope in his beady eyestalks than a crab had any right to have. Even Mutsu’s hard expression wavered. Tahōmaru hesitated before pushing past his retainers, pulling back his arm, and throwing the ball as hard as he could down the riverbank. The crab clacked his claws excitedly and ran off after the ball. Staring in wonder, the children watched him retrieve the ball and happily scuttle back with his prize. He dropped it back at their feet.

“Maybe… this one demon isn’t so bad…” Tahōmaru said, looking between his retainers hopefully. They exchanged weary looks above his head and heaved identical sighs. Tamamo no Mae winked at Minogame and made her escape as Tahōmaru lobbed the ball even further down the riverbank.

 

* * *

 

Daigo Kagemitsu wondered if he was losing his sanity. This was the third march this past year where the reports of enemy troops massing had proved false, leading to a waste of time and resources and a hasty skirmish when the enemy lord noticed them on his border. It hadn’t even been enough of a victory to take his land, and now they marched back in— not disgrace, of course, but— lower spirits. A decade of consistent military success may have made his troops grow lax and overconfident.

He needed better scouts, he decided.

He snapped his fingers, summoning one of his officers to ride up beside him.

“Find the scouts who gathered the intelligence and gave the report which sent us here. Demote them as low as you possibly can— I don’t care if that means they’re mucking out the stables for the rest of their lives.”

The officer blinked.

“But sir, those two are among the best scouts we’ve ever had. Surely one mistake—”

“If I am to unite this country, there can be no tolerance for mistakes. Is that clear?”

The officer inclined his head and pulled his horse around to fall back into the rest of the army.

By the time Daigo arrived back at the manor in the early hours of the morning and had handed his horse off to the stable hands, he felt grimy and exhausted. He changed out of his armor and headed for his rooms, intent on making headway on the latest crop reports before taking any leisure time. When he slid the door open, however, he blinked at the what was on his writing table. On top of a stack of papers next to the brush rack sat a tiny rabbit-like imp. It chewed happily on the ribbon on the end of his favorite calligraphy brush.

He felt a vein throb in his forehead at the sight and gripped the hilt of his katana.

“Get out!” he shouted, lunging for the creature, but it leaped from its perch and over his head, brush still in its mouth. It landed with a light thump behind him. When he spun to face it, it skittered away, high pitched laughter echoing behind it. Daigo roared in frustration and chased after it. These monsters had been showing up for years, getting bolder and bolder as they wreaked havoc in his household. He lost sight of it when it rounded a bend in the guest wing. He growled and he stood fuming in the hallway.

“My Lord? Is something wrong?”

Daigo turned to look behind him, where his wife stood in the doorway of the guest quarters Mikuzume-sama usually occupied, flanked by the noblewoman’s two usual retainers. He assumed their presence meant that his wife’s friend was in the rooms as well. He eyed Onui, noting her relaxed appearance and the absence of several layers of her outer robes.

“It’s nothing you need concern yourself with.” He said stiffly. She tilted her head.

“Have those demons made their way into the house again? I can instruct the guards to be more vigilant.”

Daigo raised his chin and glanced back down the hall in the direction he thought the imp had disappeared.

“You haven’t seen any today?” He asked.

“I see them occasionally as they run by, but it seems they are only interested in harassing the lord of this house and not those below him,” Onui said, sounding regretful. When he looked back at her, Mikuzume had appeared beside her, and both women exchanged an amused look Daigo couldn’t interpret and didn’t like.

“Mikuzume-sama,” he said, nodding stiffly to her. She returned the nod and gave him a smile with too many teeth. He deeply regretted giving her an open invitation to his house but he couldn’t afford to insult her by retracting it. She had sent some of her younger relatives from her family home to serve in his troops, and from what he had heard they were quite skilled at spy work— almost invaluably so.

“Daigo-dono, thank you again for your hospitality. Your wife and I spent the whole night deep in discussion.” Mikuzume’s smile was no less dangerous as her glance slid to his wife.

“Mikuzume-sama was just reciting some poetry for me. She has such a vast knowledge of old Heian poems.” Onui hid her smile behind her sleeve. “And a clever tongue as well.”

Daigo raised an eyebrow and decided that, no, he really didn’t want to know more about what his wife and her friend discussed. He turned and left them, intending to go to the courtyard for some fresh air. The sun had fully risen and he breathed in the scent of the garden, trying to calm his stressed mind. He spotted Tahōmaru crouched near the koi pond and walked towards him, wondering what his son was looking at.

“Give it back,” Tahōmaru said, tone cajoling and looking as though he were tugging on something. “Come on, I’ll feed you later, I promise.”

Daigo stopped and looked over the boy’s shoulder to see that he was playing tug-of-war. With a raccoon-sized crab.

For Daigo’s writing brush.

While speaking to it like a dog.

“Tahōmaru, what is the meaning of this?” Daigo demanded. Tahōmaru nearly fell over as he whipped his head around to look at him. The boy stood and let go of the brush, which the crab kept a tight hold of as it scuttled to hide behind Tahōmaru’s feet. Daigo gave his son a stern, expectant look as he straightened and faced him.

“Uh… I was just trying to get your brush back, Father. Heikegani stole it from that imp that ran by, and now he _won’t give it back_.” Tahōmaru directed these last words at the crab with a glare. Daigo once again wondered if he was going mad because the crab almost looked ashamed as its claws drooped. Daigo had so, so many questions.

“Son, is that crab a demon as well?” he asked. Tahōmaru’s expression grew shifty as he refused to meet his father’s eyes.

“Maybe…? But he doesn’t do much more than pinch people and try to eat things he shouldn’t, so he doesn’t seem very demonic.”

Daigo had to hold back from groaning in exasperation.

“These creatures aren’t welcome here, Tahōmaru. Why would you encourage one to stay by feeding it, of all things?”

The nine-year-old’s brow furrowed in confusion and he tilted his head at Daigo.

“But, Father, aren’t you the one who invited the demons into our lives in the first place?” he asked, tone genuinely curious for all the insubordination his words contained. “I thought you liked them.”

Daigo slapped his son across the cheek, though he was too exhausted to put as much force into it as he might have liked.

“Hold your tongue, son. I may be your father, but I am also your lord and you will respect my decisions as such,” Daigo snapped. Tahōmaru’s eyes widened and he put a hand to his injured cheek. “You still have much to learn if you ever hope to rule one day. Having an agreement with someone does not have to mean you like them.”

Tahōmaru pouted and looked down at his feet.

“If that’s what you wanna call it,” he mumbled.

“What was— _ouch!_ ” Daigo shouted in pain and jerked his leg back. Looking down, he saw a shallow gash on his ankle through his tabi and the crab pulling back a bloody claw. It turned and scuttled away far more quickly than he’d ever seen a crab move before, taking the brush with it.

“I’m so sorry, Father!” Tahōmaru shouted, looking a little green at the blood flowing from his father’s ankle. “I’ll go find some bandages!”

The boy ran off, and Daigo glared angrily at his son’s retreating back. Tahōmaru was a promising heir, though his stubbornness and curiosity often proved as infuriating as it was commendable.

He was also the only heir Daigo had, though not for lack of trying.

Fed up with the entire idea of being awake, Daigo returned to his chambers and fell into his futon without bothering to undress or bandage his ankle.

_He was back in the Hall of Hell. It was the night he had made his deal— he knew because he felt the blood drip down his forehead and past his eye— but he remembered everything that had happened since then._

_“This wasn’t part of the deal!” he shouted, turning to address each of the statues. “I gave you my son’s body, and you gave me the power to unite this country. No more than that! Why do you continue to harass me?”_

_Disembodied laughter rang through the temple._

_“‘Lend me your strength, and you’ll have whatever you wish.’ Those were your words.”_

_Daigo spun on his heels to face the voice behind him. In the open doorway, backlit by the occasional bolt of lightning, a small figure huddled. Daigo took an involuntary step back as it raised its head to face him. The figure had a head and a torso, but nothing else— no limbs, eyes, ears, nose, or even skin. It grinned and—_

_Well. It had teeth._

_“You have to be more specific with demons, Father,” the figure said. “Were you relieved, when I was all they asked for?”_

_Daigo backed up further and knocked into one of the candle holders, sending it crashing to the ground. The flame sputtered out, leaving even less light to see by. A gust of wind from behind the figure blew out the remaining candles, buffeting him with rain. Daigo lunged, reaching for his sword, and—_

He jerked on his futon, breathing harshly as sunlight filtered through the shoji screens, so bright he didn’t notice the puff of blue foxfire as it dissipated from above his head. He thought he heard high pitched laughter— not from the demons, but from a human child— and wondered again if he was going mad.

 

* * *

 

Tamamo no Mae stood silently outside the door to Daigo’s war room, listening as the reports came in. Nearly fifteen years in and Daigo’s campaign to take over the country still had no end in sight.

“How could an entire stockpile of grain have gone missing!?” the lord demanded. “Were you so careless as to let brigands into the camp?”

“Daigo-dono, there were no brigands, I swear it! The shipment went out, but it never arrived at its destination, and there was no sign of them being waylaid on the road. It just disappeared!”

“I want the ones responsible for this executed!”

“Sire, there’s no sign of the ones escorting the shipment, and no one can recall who signed off on it in the first place.”

“Then bring me all of the ones in charge of supervising the stockpile and I will deal with them personally.”

The man who exited the room had his head hung low and his shoulders hunched, and the fox thought she might not have even needed to use a glamor to conceal herself with how distracted he was. She smiled at his retreating back.

The next report, delivered by a sniveling man with a bandage wound tightly around the stump of his right arm, was perhaps even more interesting.

“It was a demon! It must have been! It looked human, but it was protecting that spy—” he choked, sounding like he might puke. “And then its arms came off and there were swords!”

Tamamo no Mae raised an eyebrow. What on _earth_ had Hyakkimaru been up to lately? Was this the sort of trouble he and Dororo got into when she left them unsupervised?

“I see. And you’re the only survivor.” Daigo paused, presumably for the man to nod or something. “And why did this monster spare you? To send a message?”

“I— I don’t know. But the giant insect it summoned managed to decimate those this monster didn’t get to.”

“Hm. And when you returned with reinforcements?”

“They were all gone, Daigo-dono. There weren’t even footprints to follow. The bodies were all e— eaten.”

Tamamo no Mae walked away from the room, her packmates following her.

“Hanzo. Sasuke. It seems my nephew has been getting into trouble lately. Go fetch him and his brother for me, won’t you?” She massaged her temple. “Bring them to Banmon and I’ll meet them there.”

Hanzo grinned.

“Of course, Great-Grandmother. It’ll be good to finally meet him.”

They followed her to outside the front gate of the manor before disappearing.  Tamamo no Mae headed down the road that led out of town, wanting to complete a few small tasks before she met with Hyakkimaru and Dororo.

She was enjoying the warm afternoon sunlight when she saw an old man up ahead of her, carrying a distinctive rice basket on his back. He was rather speedy, for a man of his age, but he still hunched over a walking stick. Tamamo no Mae grinned and sped her steps a little. Poking a hole in his basket would be some harmless fun.

As she drew up beside the old man, she put on a smile and moved to offer him her arm. He noticed the presence and looked up at her and Tamamo no Mae’s world _froze_. She stopped walking.

She stared at the man’s face in horror and awe and wondered what he could possibly want with her.

“I— Inari Ōkami!” she stammered. She took an involuntary step away from the god before her. His wizened old face broke out into a grin.

“Tamamo no Mae, my child! How good to see you again!” He gave her a sly look. “Were you about to poke a hole in my basket, dear?”

Tamamo no Mae wondered if this was how human children felt when their parents caught them sneaking sweets. Words, which had always come so easily to her, stuck in her throat.

“It… has been a long time.” She bowed to hide her face from him, but he reached out and tapped her chin so he could look her in the eye.

“Indeed it has. I thought it was about time to come check on you and your pack. I was beginning to wonder if perhaps you’d forgotten about me.” He chuckled.

The fox straightened and tucked her hands into her sleeves. She willed her tail to stop twitching under her kimono, but it was no use.

“That’s impossible, with all the shrines to you around.” She couldn’t meet his gaze. Inari laughed.

“I’m proud of you,” he said, and she managed to give him an incredulous look. “You always were the most devious and cunning of my children. It’s good to see you put that to good use.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sending your foxes to spread false military reports, keeping the skirmishes away from villages?” Inari said.

“That man can’t rule a country with no one in it. I’m upholding the contract.” Tamamo no Mae gritted her teeth. “And there’s nothing to say I can’t throw the ranks into chaos when the wrong scouts get blamed.”

“Saving a doctor from his path of self-destruction.”

“He’s of more use to us alive.”

“Sending surplus grain from an army stockpile to the villagers nearby who were starving under the lord’s harsh taxes.” Inari raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t think I wouldn’t notice the transport of _rice_ , of all things?”

“Sowing chaos, if you will.” Despite herself, Tamamo no Mae smirked.

“Encouraging peace between demons and humans.”

“The fewer of us that get killed, the more havoc we can wreak.”

“Saving an infant from a slow death? Caring for him like your own cub? Drawing his mother out of her grief and helping her connect with her second son, whom you also care for?”

“I— what do you want me to say?” She snapped. If Inari was here to strike her down, she wished he’d just get it over with.

“You’ve changed, Daji.” Inari’s voice was soft, and Tamamo no Mae closed her eyes. No one had called her by that name— the first she could remember having— in centuries. It felt… nice.

“If I have,” she said, “then it’s all the fault of that bodhisattva and her favored child.”

“Mm, yes, Kannon is quite smug about that. Sounds to me like he’s your favored child as well.” Inari laughed. When Tamamo no Mae opened her eyes to see his expression, he was gone. There were no footprints in the dirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New supernatural beings in this chapter:  
> \- Heikegani, the crab demon in Episode 10 which is not, in fact, a [heikegani crab](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heikegani). I just figure baby Tahomaru would like that name.  
> \- [Inari Ōkami](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inari_%C5%8Ckami), patron Kami of foxes, rice, fertility, agriculture, commerce... a lot of important stuff.
> 
> Thank you for betaing and putting up with my stupid questions, Fetuscakes! Love you!
> 
> Dreamillusions drew me a [wonderful piece of art](https://scartale-an-undertale-au.tumblr.com/post/184987784249/help-me-get-out-hmm-nah-i-am-too) for this story! Please check it out!


	12. Feeling Crabby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family bonding is interrupted for different family bonding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now (to quote RoSH) back to our Regularly Scheduled Dumbass Adventures.

Getting the rice farm set up was a laborious task, but Hibukuro and Ojiya knew what they were doing, and they had plenty of willing helpers. They were making headway on sprouting the seed rice, transplanting vegetables from the garden back home, and repairing the small house.

“Ojiya, honey, you need to move it a bit to the left!” Hibukuro called out to his wife as she stood on the rooftop and laid down the scaffolding for the new thatching. She growled in annoyance and glanced over her shoulder at him.

“Dear, how many times are you going to try to give me unsolicited advice?” she asked, even as she moved the scaffolding to the left. Hibukuro shrugged expansively.

“I dunno, how long are we gonna be alive?”

Jukai had somehow convinced Arijigoku to take them back home to fetch supplies and Hibukuro’s vegetable plants. Upon his return, he immediately got to work on making prostheses for the children, despite Mio’s protests that she couldn’t pay him and that he needn’t put himself out for them. He merely gave her a sympathetic look as he carved.

“You’re family, now. You can repay me by taking care of your health,” he said.

Mio went still before she excused herself to go cry alone for a little bit, overwhelmed tears leaking out without her permission. When Hyakkimaru found her leaning against a tree, she latched onto him and waited for it to pass.

“I don’t understand,” she confessed as she curled into him and clung to his kosode. “I can’t repay them. Why are they—”

Hyakkimaru’s hand stroked up and down her back in much the same way she remembered her mother doing, a lifetime ago.

“My family knows a thing or two about second chances,” was all he said. She vaguely registered that she was sitting on him and that his legs were kind of uncomfortable, but she didn’t really care. She ran a hand over the line of hardened sap which sealed the gash on his right arm. It looked just like dried blood.

Later, she insisted on going with him and Dororo to set snares and find forage in the forest.

“But you’ve been helping Papa with the garden all day—” Dororo protested, but she held up a hand.

“I can’t go back to working at the camps— not now that they think I’m a spy.” Her mouth pressed into a thin line. “Let me do this, at least.”

The boys hadn’t been able to protest that, and she was a quick learner.

By the time the two kitsune arrived a week in, Mio had almost managed to fool herself into thinking this could last.

 

* * *

 

The kitsune introduced themselves as Hanzo and Sasuke, and they’d come to bring Hyakkimaru and Dororo to Tamamo no Mae.

“Why?” Hyakkimaru asked, crossing his arms. “What’s so urgent it couldn’t wait until the wedding?”

“She’s miffed about something,” Hanzo, the one with three tails, said.

“We all know better than to argue with Great-Grandmother when she’s annoyed,” Sasuke, the two-tailed one, added. They both grinned. Hyakkimaru’s expression changed from irritated to wary as he eyed those toothy fox smiles.

“Somebody’s in trouble!” a couple of the younger children sing-songed as they fawned over the foxes’ soft fur. Hyakkimaru huffed and, despite herself, Mio giggled at the pout on his face. He turned his head and gave her a betrayed look before looking back at the foxes. Dororo blew out a puff of air which ruffled his bangs.

“We were just getting settled in, too!” he whined.

“I suppose there’s no avoiding it.” Hyakkimaru rubbed at his eyes. “Just give us some time to get our stuff and explain to our parents what’s going on. I don’t need _ them _ mad at me as well.”

The foxes agreed easily, enjoying the many tiny children currently messing up their fur. Dororo ran off towards their parents as Hyakkimaru turned to Mio.

“I’m sorry, Mio, I know this is sudden—”

“It’s okay,” she interrupted. “I’m just glad you stayed for as long as you did.”

Hyakkimaru's brow furrowed and he took a step closer. Mio mirrored him and, when his hand twitched like he wanted to reach out, she took it in hers.

“I can come right back,” he said. “As soon as Aunt Mae is done with whatever she wants from me, I'll come back.”

Mio shook her head, bringing his hand to her cheek. The bark was cool and mostly smooth against her skin, with a regular pattern of bumpy cracks and a few scarred areas.

“Weren't you going to visit all your relatives before your aunt's wedding? I don't want you to neglect them on my account.”

“We were just doing that to kill time.” Hyakkimaru was pouting harder now, and Mio had to suppress a laugh at how cute it looked. She really did want him to stay, or to come right back, but she also needed some time to sort through her emotions, and having the guilt of holding him tethered to this place while she did that wouldn't be helpful. She could tell that a large part of him wanted to continue his journey, as well.

“Come back after the wedding, and we'll show you and Dororo all the progress we've made. You can tell me all about your adventures then, too.” Mio gave him a knowing look. “Just try not to get into  _ too much _ trouble.”

“It’s not like we go looking for trouble; it just finds us.” He flushed, a little sheepish, as he grumbled. “I— are you sure?”

Mio nodded. He studied her face, and she must have had enough resolve in her expression to convince him. His pout morphed into a thoughtful expression, which in turn became a grin.

“Hey, you should come to Aunt Maimai's wedding!”

Mio stiffened in surprise at his non-sequitur. From what she'd heard about this particular aunt, she couldn't imagine she'd be welcome there— especially if her groom was a lord.

“I— I'm not sure that's a good idea… I wouldn't know how to act… And I don't have any other clothes…”

Hyakkimaru’s smile fell. She felt bad for shooting down the idea so quickly, but really, what was he thinking? She would be far too out of place. He sighed and gave her an understanding nod. Moving the hand that was on her cheek to her shoulder, he played with the strands of hair hanging over her ear.

“You're about the same height as my cousin Kaiko, so if you change your mind, I'm sure we could think of something.” He shrugged, forcing some nonchalance back into his posture. “Otherwise, I'll just make her take us right back here afterward.”

“Are you two gonna kiss or something?”

Both teens stiffened and looked down to where Takebo stood, hand on his hip and looking annoyed. He huffed at their confused faces.

“Because if you  _ are _ ,” he continued, “You’d better take responsibility! I’m going to make you marry Mio-nee on the spot.”

The other kids erupted into a chorus of exaggerated, scandalized gasps and shrieks at the idea of two unmarried teens kissing. Mio felt her face heat up. Sneaking a quick glance back at Hyakkimaru, she was surprised at how red he’d become. He made a couple of incoherent noises at the kids but didn’t drop his hand from her shoulder. Takebo rolled his eyes and walked away, muttering something about teenagers being idiots. Mio sighed fondly at him.

“Brothers,” she said in a conspiratorial tone. Hyakkimaru nodded in agreement and stepped back, dropping his hand back to his side.

“They’re the worst, aren’t they?” He made a helpless gesture. “I should go get my stuff together and correct whatever weird story Dororo’s told our parents about where we’re going.”

When he and Dororo stood next to the foxes a few hours later, saying their final round of goodbyes, Mio pulled him  down and kissed him on the cheek with a whispered, “stay safe.” His face was bright red again when she pulled away. A dopey grin spread across it and he nodded as Dororo crowed in delight and her siblings shrieked and giggled. She thought she saw Hibukuro and Jukai handing money over to Ojiya from the corner of her eye.

The brothers disappeared with the foxes in a circle of blue foxfire. Mio stared at the place where they’d stood, blinked, and clapped her hands to get the kids’ attention.

“Well, let’s get back to work. We need to get this place in shape by the time they get back!”

 

* * *

 

Hanzo and Sasuke didn’t take the brothers directly to their meeting place, but instead to a small fishing village an hour’s walk from the main town. They materialized on a deserted path, the foxes in their human skins.

“We have some time to kill before Great-Grandmother wanted to meet with you, so we thought we’d walk part of the way there,” Hanzo explained when Dororo asked where they were. The younger boy grumbled about a waste of perfectly good teleportation skills, but he didn’t seem too bothered as he skipped down the road ahead of them. The small village sat on the shores of a large lake. Making a beeline for the beach, Dororo waded in up to his knees and sighed in relief.

“It’s hot today!” he complained. Hyakkimaru stifled a laugh and followed him, although the water only reached the middle of his calves when he stood at the same depth as his brother. As casually as he could, he sidled up next to Dororo, planted his hand in the middle of his back, and pushed him into the water. Dororo yelped in alarm, went under, and popped back up with a murderous expression. They heard the foxes laughing from where they stood on the beach.

“Foul play, Aniki!” Dororo shouted, splashing Hyakkimaru as hard as he could. “Just because you’re upset you had to leave your sweetheart doesn’t mean you can pick on me!”

Hyakkimaru sputtered a few times, both from the water in his face and Dororo’s barbs, before settling on telling him to shut up. He was just about to splash the brat back when a large branch landed in the water a few yards from them and floated across the surface. The brothers stared at it and exchanged a nonplussed glance with each other. There were no trees hanging over the water to drop that, and it had come from the direction of the small ridge jutting into the water to their right. Hyakkimaru was about to go investigate when a giant claw shot out of the water, grabbed the branch, and headed behind the ridge. Dororo screamed.

“Aniki _ , what is that thing _ !?” he screeched. Hyakkimaru waded through the water towards the ridge, intent on finding out. Dororo trailed after him, though Hanzo and Sasuke stayed put. They crested the ridge and looked down onto one of the oddest sights Hyakkimaru had ever seen outside his own family. Two humans stood on the beach below them facing a giant crab sticking halfway from the lake’s surface. The crab held the branch above the taller one’s head, who had his arms crossed and a severe expression, while his shorter companion simply looked bored. In contrast to the white of the humans’ souls, the crab's soul flame was bright gold.

“I’m not playing tug-of-war with you.” The taller one said. “Either you drop it, or playtime is over.”

The crab seemed to think about this, tilting its eyestalks in consideration. It dropped the branch, sending sand flying as it crashed to the beach. Hyakkimaru and Dororo watched in bewilderment as the man picked up the branch and threw it like a spear, sending it soaring several yards. The crab splashed back into the water to chase it.

Hyakkimaru picked his way down the other side of the ridge and approached the pair. Dororo was hot on his heels.

“Are you… playing fetch with a crab demon?” Hyakkimaru asked them. He wondered if this was how Tanosuke had felt when he’d stayed with them.

“You must be new around here,” The shorter, slighter one said, watching the crab with an air of weary acceptance and not bothering to glance at Hyakkimaru. The taller one faced him and Dororo, sizing them up.

“Our Master Tahōmaru and Heikegani have an… unusual friendship,” he explained. “When he is busy with his other duties, we feed Heikegani and… ‘make sure he isn’t lonely.’”

The amount of resignation in his voice reminded Hyakkimaru of how his dad sometimes sounded when one of the demons did something particularly bewildering. He raised an eyebrow and turned his head to watch the crab bring the branch back again. It looked like it could swallow Dororo in one bite.

“Not the weirdest thing I’ve seen, but unusual is probably a good word for it,” Hyakkimaru murmured to his brother.

“Nothing will ever be as weird as watching Shiranui surf on two sharks at once,” Dororo agreed sagely. The two standing beside them both gave them unnerved looks.

“Who’s Shiranui?” The shorter one asked.

“Our cousin,” Hyakkimaru said. Their eyebrows were making a valiant effort to reach their hairline.

“Were the sharks demonic?” They asked when Hyakkimaru refused to elaborate. Dororo shook his head.

“Nah, only one of them.” He reached up and began picking something out of his teeth, ignoring the increasing discomfort radiating from the two beside them. “So does that one talk?”

The taller of the two gave him a curious look.

“No, he’s just a very large and playful crab,” he said. “Master Tahōmaru has had a soft spot for him for years.”

“Against everyone else’s better judgment…” his companion grumbled. Hyakkimaru crossed his arms and hummed in thought.

“If he doesn’t talk, he’s probably not one of the forty-eight,” Hyakkimaru mused. When he noticed the shocked looks the two strangers were giving him, he frowned. “What?”

“How do you know of the forty-eight demons? Who are you?” The shorter one asked, radiating suspicion. Their companion gave him an inscrutable look. Hyakkimaru shared a confused glance with Dororo.

“Were… they a secret? And how do  _ you _ , for that matter?” He blinked at both of them, who now stared at him with narrowed eyes. Behind them, Heikegani returned with the branch and watched the proceedings with interest while Dororo, bored with his brother’s staring contest, went to try to throw it. The shorter of the two set their jaw.

“I’ve never seen you around here before.” They gave Hyakkimaru a suspicious once-over, eyebrows raising. The unspoken  _ I’d remember someone as odd-looking as you _ hung in the air. Hyakkimaru wished he had the ability to roll his eyes, but he settled for giving them a flat look.

“My name is Hyakkimaru.”

“My name is Hyogo,” the taller one said, “and this is my older sibling, Mutsu. We are the retainers to Tahōmaru, heir of this domain’s lord.”

Hyakkimaru gestured towards where Dororo was hanging about a handspan from the ground from the branch as the crab held it up.

“That menace over there is my otōto, Dororo.”

“Hello!” Dororo called. Hyogo and Mutsu glanced over and gave him a brief nod before Mutsu turned their suspicious gaze back to Hyakkimaru.

“I asked you a question, how do you know about the demons? It’s hardly common knowledge, even to the people who live here by the Hall of Hell. How would a traveler like you find out?”

“My aunt told me.” Hyakkimaru tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice. Dororo dropped back onto the sand and jogged back.

“The Hall of Hell is nearby? Aniki, maybe we should go to visit it!”

“ _ No! _ ” both strangers shouted at once. Dororo’s eyes widened and he sidled closer to Hyakkimaru.

“That place is cursed.” A line of worry appeared between Hyogo’s brow. Mutsu nodded.

A shout from the top of the ridge interrupted the growing tension.

“Hey! Are you boys gonna stand around all afternoon?” Hanzo called down to them. “We need to get moving!”

“It was your idea to detour here in the first place!” Dororo yelled back, shaking one of his little fists.

“Oh, it’s Hyogo and Mutsu!” Sasuke waved frantically beside Hanzo. “Hello!”

Hyogo and Mutsu gave perfunctory waves back. The foxes both jumped down the ridge and came to a stop next to Hyakkimaru. Hanzo, taking full advantage of his height, leaned an elbow on Hyakkimaru’s shoulder.

“What are you two doing here?” Mutsu’s eyes narrowed again, and Hyakkimaru wondered if they had any emotions besides suspicion and exasperation. “Why aren’t you with Mikuzume-sama?”

Hyakkimaru glanced at Dororo and mouthed, “Mikuzume-sama?” He knew, from Aunt Mae's stories, that Mikuzume was one of her old names, but why would these people know her by that? Dororo shrugged while Hanzo laughed, leaning harder onto Hyakkimaru.

“She sent us to fetch her nephews so she could yell at this one in person,” the fox stage-whispered. Hyakkimaru crossed his arms and stubbornly looked away from the two strangers. He could just  _ feel _ Hanzo’s grin widening.

“He’s in trouble!” Sasuke laughed. His laugh was a high, obnoxious bark, even in human form. Dororo giggled along with him. Hyakkimaru, fed up with everyone, ducked out from under Hanzo’s arm and strode in the direction of the town. The others could catch up when they were finished making fun of him. He didn’t even know what he was in trouble for because, when he’d asked, the foxes had just grinned and told him he'd find out later.

The two strangers protested him leaving, but he ignored them. Whatever they knew about the Hall of Hell wasn’t worth weathering their interrogation to find out. A more relevant question was how they knew Aunt Mae, and why she was going by “Mikuzume” with them. He had no doubt she had some mischief up her sleeve. Dororo caught up to him, complaining that Hyakkimaru walked far too fast, and he put the matter out of his mind. He didn’t plan on running into those two again, anyway. 

 

* * *

 

The foxes took them to the top of a high bluff. At the center of the rise there stood a single section of a badly damaged wooden wall, many times taller than any of them. A multitude of skulls littered the base, and Hyakkimaru took care not to step on any as he followed. Dororo stepped lightly around to the backside to inspect it before coming back.

“I don’t get it.” He scratched his head. “It’s just a big piece of a wall. Why is it here?”

“There are so many arrow marks in it.” Hyakkimaru ran a hand over the wall, where a series of arrow holes spanned the width of the wall, concentrated at chest height. “Was this a fort?”

“A border wall,” Hanzo said, “between the Togashi and Asakura territories.”

“There used to be one united town here, right on the border, but when Daigo attacked the Asakura army and war broke out, they built Banmon— a long wall spanning the border.” Sasuke rapped his knuckles on the wood. “This is all that’s left of it, but no one crosses the border without getting shot anyway.”

“What happened to the rest of it?” Dororo asked, peeking around it again.

“There’ve been a lot of battles here. It burned down pretty quickly.” Hanzo shifted to fox form and pricked his ears forward. “They’re coming.”

The brothers didn’t have time to ask who was coming before the dimming twilight filled with small sparks of blue flame, growing into swirling will-o-the-wisps which danced and flickered in the air. One by one, the wisps burst and a fox jumped from each with a joyful cry. They surrounded Hyakkimaru and Dororo, a sea of wagging tails and sniffing noses, but in their enthusiasm, they stumbled over one another and many of them began to play fight.

Dororo reached out to pet the two nearest to him. Four more tried to crowd in for his attention, and he ended up on the ground buried under a sea of orange and white fur.

“You okay there, Dororo?” Hyakkimaru asked, reaching down to stroke one of the smaller foxes.

“This is the best day of my life!” Dororo’s voice was heavily muffled.

Sasuke and Hanzo sat apart from the madness, indulgent humor on their vulpine faces.

“We’ve all been excited to meet you after everything Great-Grandmother has told us about you.” Sasuke grinned at him.

A larger ball of foxfire appeared in the air, and everyone froze as Tamamo no Mae leaped from it, dwarfing the other foxes with her size and nine long tails. Her white fur shone in the moonlight. So did her teeth, when she grinned at them. As she strode towards Hyakkimaru and Dororo, the others backed up to make a path for her. Many of the younger foxes greeted her with whines and wagging tails, and she spared a moment to give a couple of them a playful nip. She stopped in front of the brothers and laid down, delicately crossing her front paws.

“Nice to see you again, boys.” She yawned. Dororo reached forward to scratch at her ruff.

“Hey, Aunt Mae,” he said. She tilted her head so he could reach a spot behind her ear she liked to have scratched. Privately, Hyakkimaru thought that encouraging a nine-year-old to pet her kind of ruined her “bloodthirsty demon” image, but he wasn’t going to say that out loud.

“Hello, Aunt Mae. Not that it isn’t good to see you,” Hyakkimaru said, “but why are we here?”

Aunt Mae yawned widely, exposing all of her teeth.

“You’ve run into trouble these past few weeks, haven't you?” She surveyed him critically, eyes lingering on the gash on his arm. “I heard through a rather unreliable source what happened, but I think that I should hear the story from you.”

Hyakkimaru stiffened and looked down at his arm.

“How did you—” He paused, realizing he knew the answer. “So that soldier survived.”

Aunt Mae nodded.

“He reported back to Daigo, the lord here, about a demon with swords for arms summoning a giant insect to eat them. Why don’t you tell me what actually happened?”

Hyakkimaru sat down in front of her and crossed his legs, clenching his hands around his knees. It was a struggle to keep his breathing calm as he told his aunt the story of what had happened, from meeting Mio at Biwamaru’s suggestion to his agreement with Arijigoku to the decisions which had led to the soldiers coming to the temple. He told her about the fight, about how he’d been sure he would lose and Mio and the children would be killed, about how he’d given in to Nihil’s urging and killed everyone Arijigoku and Ojiya didn’t get to first. He told her how Dororo had kept him from killing the man who had first threatened him.

“The worst part is that I really did want to kill him. What kind of man sees a girl trying to provide for her family and comes up with an excuse to murder her?” Hyakkimaru stared at the ground and grit his teeth, angry tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

“I’ve killed humans for less,” Aunt Mae said. Hyakkimaru lifted his head to meet her eye, wondering where she was going with this. “Maimai-onba has killed humans, many of them children, to feed to her own young. Every single one of the forty-eight of us earned our place in that Hall of Hell. Why don’t you condemn us for it?”

“That’s different!” Hyakkimaru shouted. Dororo was looking between him and Aunt Mae with a worried crease between his brows, but the teen ignored his brother and went on. “You’re demons, that’s how you’re made! I don’t like that you guys kill people, but you need to survive too. Humans— humans are—”

He had to pause and take a deep breath. His throat felt too tight, and he clenched his hands harder into his knees.

“Humans are so much worse. All this war and killing, and for what? That man looked  _ happy _ about trying to kill Mio.” Hyakkimaru put a hand over his eyes. He felt Dororo’s arms snake around his torso from the side and he leaned into it. He gave a half-hearted chuckle. “I guess I’m not any better than them now, am I?”

Dororo’s arms went tighter around his torso as if to deny what he’d just said.

“Do you regret it?” Aunt Mae’s words were quiet, but they pierced the still night. Hyakkimaru lowered his hand and stared at the gash on his forearm again.

“No,” he finally said. “I don’t regret doing what I did to protect the kids and Mio. I… wish it hadn’t happened the way it did, but if I hadn’t killed those men…”

“No doubt your friends would be dead by now.” Aunt Mae’s golden eyes held no pity or sympathy, but when Hyakkimaru met them he thought he saw understanding. She stood and closed the small distance between them. With a few quick, efficient licks, she flattened some of his unruly strands of hair. “Protecting someone you love is a much better reason for killing people than I or those soldiers ever had. I’m… proud of you.”

None of the demons had ever said that to him before. He’d known on some level that they were, but hearing it aloud was never something he thought he’d needed. He shifted, putting one arm around Dororo and raising the other to bury his hand in his aunt’s warm fur.

“Hm, it feels even weirder to say that than to hear it,” she said, and Hyakkimaru choked on a laugh. He decided not to ask what that meant.

They ended up falling asleep in a pile of foxes, in the same way Hyakkimaru remembered sleeping on Aunt Mae when he was little.

 

* * *

 

When he awoke the next morning, Hyakkimaru noticed that all of the foxes were gone. Dororo had curled up against his side. His soft snores weren't what had woken Hyakkimaru, however. In the distance, he heard shouting and the sound of horse hooves rapidly drawing closer. He shook Dororo awake.

“Nn, Aniki?” Dororo's voice was groggy and he rubbed his eyes tiredly. “What's up?”

“Something’s coming. Let's get behind the wall until we know what's going on.”

They scrambled up and darted behind the wall just as the army crested the ridge. Hyakkimaru peeked through a gap between the boards. A tall man sat astride a horse, flanked by foot soldiers. A few of the soldiers held onto prisoners, who had their arms tied behind their backs.

“Put them up against the wall!” the man on the horse shouted. The prisoners protested, claiming innocence to whatever crimes they were there for, but their captors ignored them. The man on the horse, who was clearly in charge, gave a shout to call for attention. “All citizens suspected of spying against us will be put to death.”

Hyakkimaru grit his teeth. There was that spy nonsense again. A deep rage bubbled beneath the surface and he stepped out from behind the wall before Dororo could stop him. The soldiers and prisoners all froze as he put himself between the two groups.

“What is it with you samurai, finding spies where there aren’t any?” he demanded, glaring at the man on horseback. Something about the man’s face sent shivers down his spine. His expression was stony, his eyes were cold, and he had a large X-shaped scar on his forehead. The man’s soul was streaked with red. Hyakkimaru was sure he would remember seeing such a man before, so where was this feeling of uncanny familiarity coming from? It made him clench his fists harder.

“Who are you?” the man demanded. “What gives you the right to criticize how a lord runs his land?”

“What kind of lord kills his own citizens just because he thinks they might be spies?” Hyakkimaru shot back. “Soon there won’t be anyone left to rule.”

“Insolent boy!” The lord drew his katana and leveled it at Hyakkimaru. “Get out, before I have you cut down.”

“Daigo-dono, they’re getting away!”

The shout drew everyone’s attention away from the argument. Hyakkimaru spared a glance over his shoulder in time to see the prisoners fleeing for the safety of the nearby woods. A few archers shot at them, but the arrows went wide and they managed to escape. Next to Hyakkimaru, Dororo stood twirling the front half of a broken katana in one hand and held several pieces of cut rope in another. Hyakkimaru wondered how he’d managed to cut the prisoners free without anyone noticing.

“Another victory for the great thief Dororo!” he crowed. Hyakkimaru gave him a disapproving glare and reached out to cuff him on the head.

“You idiot, what if they’d shot at you?” he demanded. Dororo glared and opened his mouth to retort, but the lord interrupted.

“How dare you!” He jumped from his horse and advanced on the brothers. Dororo squeaked and darted back behind the wall, but Hyakkimaru held his ground. So this was Daigo, the lord Aunt Mae had mentioned. The lord who had given his troops orders to kill suspected spies. This man was responsible for the soldiers who had tried to kill Mio. Hyakkimaru ducked as the man swung his katana, pulling off his right forearm and blocking the blow. The screech of metal on metal made him grit his teeth. Daigo jumped back, eyes wide, and Hyakkimaru held his arm in a defensive stance.

“You!” Daigo shouted. “You’re the one who killed my soldiers and protected a spy!”

“She wasn’t a spy!” Hyakkimaru spat. “She’s one of your subjects, trying to survive, trying to provide for her family!”

He kind of regretted letting that one soldier live. Daigo growled and swung at him again, but he dodged and used his teeth to pull off his other forearm, letting both of them drop to the ground. Daigo didn’t let up on his attack, but Hyakkimaru could tell he was unsettled. Hyakkimaru jumped back to avoid another swing.

“What manner of demon are you?” the man growled, shifting his stance on the sparse grass. A rock hit him in the temple. He shook his head like a horse trying to rid itself of a fly, but before he could press forward to attack again, another rock hit him in the same place. Taking advantage of the distraction, Hyakkimaru pushed in close, catching Daigo’s sword between his crossed blades.

“I’m human.” Hyakkimaru gritted his teeth, shifted his stance, and kicked Daigo hard in the stomach. He went sprawling, and Hyakkimaru glared down at him. “But thanks for the compliment.”

Daigo moved to pick himself up, but a third rock came flying and hit him in the sternum. Hyakkimaru looked up to find Dororo sitting on top of the wall, holding more stones in his hand.

“My aniki is cooler than you’ll ever be!” He shouted, grinning. None of the soldiers seemed to know how to react to this, and they all stood with their bows half-nocked or their hands on their sword hilts. “Just because demons raised him doesn’t mean he is one! They even replaced the body parts they stole!”

Hyakkimaru sighed, lamenting his brother’s big mouth. He turned his head back to Daigo, who was gaping at him like a fish.

“Demons raised you? They replaced your body? That’s not possible!” He growled, making another attempt to get back up. He rolled to dodge another rock Dororo threw.

“It is!” Dororo insisted. One archer finally got his wits back and shot at the boy, but he dodged and disappeared back behind the wall.

“Dororo, would you shut up?” Hyakkimaru called, not taking his eyes off of the lord in front of him. Daigo finally stood, his legs strangely shaky from what Hyakkimaru could see. Giving him a long, scrutinizing look, the lord nodded.

“This isn’t over.” He sheathed his katana, beckoned his horse over, and remounted. “If you wish to live, leave immediately.”

He ordered his soldiers to retreat and headed back the way he’d come. Once he was out of sight, Dororo wandered over from behind the wall.

“What an asshole,” he said. “C’mon, Aniki, let’s go check out the town!

“You just want to try pickpocketing new people,” Hyakkimaru said, but he followed his brother down the hill towards the town anyway. It might be nice to get some fresh tea and something hot for breakfast.

 

* * *

 

The town was full of activity and people going about their day, and nobody paid much attention to two kids wandering through. A few people they passed gave them wary glances and a wide berth, but that wasn’t anything out of the usual for Hyakkimaru. The town was far larger and more prosperous than the small village back home. Wandering through the market stalls, they came across many goods they’d never seen before. Hyakkimaru was tempted to spend hours just going through and looking at everything, but he knew it’d be a struggle to keep Dororo from getting sticky fingers for that long.

“Aniki, look!” Dororo grabbed his hand and dragged him over to one stall. “They have manjū!”

The vendor was giving them a wary look Hyakkimaru didn’t like, and he wasn’t in the mood for trouble, so he gently steered his brother away from the display of manjū.

“No sweets until after we’ve eaten breakfast, Dororo.”

“You sound like Mama!” Dororo groused.

They eventually found a tea shop and entered. It was cool inside, and the air was fragrant. All of the tables were full, but there was an opening at the counter. Hyakkimaru wove through and rested his elbows on it. Unfortunately, Dororo wasn’t tall enough to see over, and he growled in frustration as Hyakkimaru signaled the man taking orders.

“Two cups of tea, and two servings of whatever you’re cooking today,” He said. The man gave him a wide-eyed look.

“You’re not welcome here!” He squeaked, drawing the attention of the people around him. Hyakkimaru scowled and pulled out his string of coins.

“I’m not some vagabond, I have money. I just want some tea.”

“Get out! We don’t serve spies here!”

Hyakkimaru threw his hands up in exasperation.

“What is it with you people and spies? I’m not a spy! I’m a traveler, I’m tired, and my brother and I just want some tea and food!”

“I’m not a spy either!” Dororo called, waving his hand above the counter.

“People saw you come down from Banmon! You can’t fool us, and word travels fast around here.” The bartender pointed to the door. “Out!”

“Oh, let him have his tea,” a new voice cut in. A sleazy-looking man approached the counter, leaning over beside Hyakkimaru. “Think of it as a last request.”

Six other men came up to surround them. Dororo shifted nervously and took Hyakkimaru’s hand.

“Thanks,” Hyakkimaru said dryly to the first man. “You’ll go down last.”

The bartender brought out two cups of tea. Throwing a couple of coins down on the counter, Hyakkimaru handed one cup to Dororo and took the other before pushing through the crowd back towards the door. Dororo still clutched his hand, but he turned and gave everyone a sneer and stuck out his tongue at them.

The men followed them, but Hyakkimaru pretended to ignore them as he sipped his tea. It was a good cup of tea, and he regretted not being able to enjoy it in peace. When he finished, he dropped Dororo’s hand and pulled off his right forearm, letting go of it as it still held the teacup.

The men didn’t even put up much of a fight. Using the back and the flat of his blade, Hyakkimaru knocked their swords aside and hit them the way Nihil had taught him to cause a lot of pain without a lot of damage. Hyakkimaru had them all sprawled on the ground groaning or unconscious within a minute. As promised, he saved the first man who’d approached him for last, but even he went down with a swift blow to the temple. Dororo cheered loudly.

“And that’s why you don’t mess with Aniki!” he crowed. Hyakkimaru felt a smile twitch at the corners of his mouth as he slid his forearm back on.

He noticed a teenage boy dressed in fine silks leaning against a building across the street. His wild spiky hair and thick eyebrows might have made him look imposing if he didn’t still have hints of baby fat clinging to his cheeks. When Hyakkimaru made eye contact, the other teen smirked and wandered over.

“That was quite impressive,” he said. “Of course, they’re only foot soldiers.”

“Friends of yours?” Hyakkimaru stepped to put himself between this boy and Dororo, just in case. The teen scoffed.

“Friends? Hardly. They’re my father’s men.” He shrugged and cast a disparaging look at the men on the ground. “I followed them because I’ve heard several things about you, and I wanted to find out if any were true for myself.”

Hyakkimaru glanced back at Dororo, who was twirling his upside-down teacup around on his index finger and watching with a bored expression on his face.

“What have you heard, then?” Hyakkimaru turned back to the teen.

“For one thing, the man you fought at Banmon is my father. I wanted to know if you were truly that skilled of a fighter. Clearly,” he gestured to the men on the ground, “you are. But for another thing…”

He walked closer and studied Hyakkimaru, who leaned away. The intensity in the boy’s black eyes was a little unnerving.

“Hyogo and Mutsu told me about meeting you yesterday. Hyakkimaru, was it?” He narrowed his eyes, but the smirk stayed on his face. “I’m very curious about what sort of person Mikuzume-sama’s nephew is, and why you know about the Hall of Hell. Did she tell you?”

So this was the heir those two had mentioned when he’d seen them with the crab. Hyakkimaru tried to reconcile the idea of a kid who made friends and played fetch with a demon crab with his mental image of the son of Daigo, a ruthless and cruel man.

“My aunt has told me about a lot of things over my life,” Hyakkimaru said, narrowing his eyes in return, “but strangely enough, she never mentioned you. How do you know her?”

The heir straightened and frowned at Hyakkimaru.

“She never mentioned any nephews, either, and she’s been a family friend for years.”

Hyakkimaru clenched a fist. Propriety be damned, this boy was really annoying. Before he could do anything, however, Dororo stepped between them and put a hand on Hyakkimaru’s chest. He pushed just enough to catch his brother’s attention.

“Boys, boys, you’re both pretty,” he said. “Can we go now?”

Dororo raised his other hand as if to push on the other teen’s chest as well and, when that earned him a warning glare, he seemed to take that as a challenge. Putting a hand on Dororo’s shoulder, Hyakkimaru pulled him closer before he could do something that might get him beaten. His stomach chose that moment to remind him that they still hadn’t eaten. The other teen kept glaring for another moment before he turned his attention back to Hyakkimaru.

“My name is Tahōmaru. Come back to my home.” Tahōmaru motioned for them to follow. “I’ll show you the rooms where Mikuzume-sama usually stays. We can eat, and you can tell me more about what you know.”

“Free food!” Dororo cheered. Hyakkimaru eyed Tahōmaru, but he didn’t sense any malice coming from him. The boy’s soul was still pure white, unlike the red-streaked soul of his father. Curiosity got the better of him and he followed, with Dororo keeping pace beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No new demons appear in this chapter.
> 
> Thanks, Fetuscakes! Your historical knowledge is absolutely indispensable.
> 
> I've started a new job (9 hrs a day, 6 days a week in an opera costume shop) and am participating in this year's Kurofai Olympics, so after next week's chapter, I plan to take a short hiatus. But fear not, I have no intentions of abandoning this fic (and I'm a little afraid of what my friends would do to me if I did).


	13. The Hall of Hell Is Other People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know the idiom "ignorance is bliss"? Everyone has been blissful for too long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, this chapter fought me. I ended up having to split it into two, so the hiatus will be postponed until after next week. Lucky you guys!
> 
> I don't have any solid plans for what happens after the Banmon arc, so feel free to toss any ideas my way.

Tahōmaru led them to a sprawling manor that overlooked the river. The courtyard had beautiful landscaping with trees, flowers, and a large koi pond. Pointing out various locations on the way, he took them through to the guest wing and into a nice set of rooms with clean tatami mats on the floor.

“Wait here, and I’ll have a servant fetch us something to eat,” Tahōmaru said, stepping out. Hyakkimaru sat cross-legged by the wall and watched Dororo inspect the room.

“If you steal anything, Aunt Mae will know,” he warned. Dororo just grinned at him.

“No harm in looking, Aniki.”

Hyakkimaru sighed, leaning his head back against the wall. The whole morning had a sense of surreality to it and he kept getting weird flashes of déjà vu. It had happened when he fought Daigo, and again when Tahōmaru led him and Dororo through the manor. It was giving him a headache.

The shoji door slid open and several servants stepped in, bringing trays of food and a full tea service. Tahōmaru followed and sat opposite Hyakkimaru as the servants placed down their trays and left. With a loud cheer Dororo sat beside his brother and dug in. His manners were appalling as ever but Tahōmaru didn’t seem to notice. The younger teen observed Hyakkimaru as he picked up his chopsticks and ate with significantly more decorum.

“Thanks for the food,” he murmured, taking a bite. It was delicious, but the staring and his headache were rapidly making his appetite dwindle. Without bothering to look, he reached out and put a hand between Dororo’s chopsticks and his mouth. “If you choke, I’m not gonna rescue you.”

Dororo growled in annoyance and knocked the limb away.

“And then what would Mama say?” He went back to eating. “She’d beat you with your own hands.”

Hyakkimaru noticed that despite his words Dororo slowed his eating a little, though he still talked with his mouth full. Tahōmaru’s gaze flicked between the two brothers before he cleared his throat.

“Tell me what you know about the forty-eight demons and the Hall of Hell,” he said. Hyakkimaru raised an eyebrow and deliberately put another bite in his mouth. Tahōmaru clenched his fists on his knees. “I need to know more about them. The Hall of Hell is on the land I’ll someday inherit, and it’s my responsibility to keep the people who live here safe.”

“Really?” Hyakkimaru swallowed. “Demons are everywhere, and none of the other lords care enough to do anything about them. They’re all too busy fighting each other.”

“Well, maybe I want to be better than that!” Tahōmaru’s voice rang out in the small room, and Hyakkimaru watched as the boy took a deep breath and forced his shoulders to relax. “Mikuzume-sama must have told you more. She knows a lot and says little of it, but if she told you about the Hall, then you must know about more than just its existence.”

Hyakkimaru studied Tahōmaru’s face. There was that odd déjà vu again, though it was weaker this time. He wasn’t sure he bought the boy’s story about protecting his people from demons. Tahōmaru’s emotions swirled around like a maelstrom, and from the feel of it, he was more invested in the issue than just a lord looking after his inheritance. Had one of the forty-eight harmed him or his family? It was possible, but this area seemed to be Aunt Mae’s territory, and she tended towards subtlety rather than blatant chaos.

“If my aunt didn’t think you needed to know,” he said, trying to figure out how to say this diplomatically, “then I imagine she had a reason.”

Tahōmaru’s scowl deepened, and he crossed his arms.

“Don’t presume that just because your aunt has some status, I’ll let you get away with ignoring the question.” He moved his untouched food tray aside and stood to loom over Hyakkimaru. Hyakkimaru gazed at him impassively and continued eating. Dororo had finished and was looking around for another serving, so Hyakkimaru handed over his bowl of white rice. Tahōmaru’s fists clenched harder at how Hyakkimaru was ignoring him. “Listen, you insolent—”

“Kami-sama, just take ‘em out and measure ‘em already!” Dororo groaned through his mouthful of rice. Both teenagers gaped at him.

“Wha — Dororo! Why are you so crude?” Hyakkimaru reached out to cuff him on the head, but he ducked.

“Your swords, your swords! What did you think I was talking about?” He giggled.

“It wouldn’t be much of a contest. I’m the best swordsman at the dojo.” Tahōmaru crossed his arms and glared at Dororo. The younger boy’s expression clearly stated what he thought of that assertion. Hyakkimaru sighed and set the tray aside, reaching out to serve himself a cup of tea. Tahōmaru glanced down at the movement and raised an eyebrow.

“Your arms and legs… they’re all made of wood?” He watched Hyakkimaru as he took a sip of tea. Hyakkimaru nodded, and Tahōmaru hummed. The teen leaned forward and stared at Hyakkimaru’s face, putting his own entirely too close for comfort. Hyakkimaru leaned back, flinching when Tahōmaru reached up and waved a hand in front of his eyes.

“Hey, what are you doing?” He leaned back further and glared, tempted to push Tahōmaru’s face away. The teen shrugged and straightened.

“Your eyes look strange, and they haven’t moved this whole time. I thought they might be glass.”

“I can see your mug just fine, thanks,” Hyakkimaru grumbled into his teacup. Tahōmaru smirked.

“So where is the hall of Hell, anyway?” Dororo asked, gesturing with his chopsticks. Tahōmaru’s smirk dropped.

“Why?” His brow furrowed. Dororo shrugged and jerked a thumb at Hyakkimaru.

“Figured he’d want to see it.”

Hyakkimaru tilted his head at his brother. He had… mixed feelings about the possibility of seeing the place where the deal was made. Part of him didn’t want to confront the old resentment and betrayal that had been dormant within him since he’d first learned about it. He’d been fine for years, keeping it down and focusing on his real family. Another part of him, the morbidly curious and possibly masochistic part, wanted to see it. Maybe, if he went there and looked at the statues of his aunts and uncles, he would understand. Tahōmaru’s black eyes fixed on him again.

“You can’t go there.” The teen crossed his arms again, but it looked more like he was trying to hold himself together than expressing his annoyance. The haughtiness had left his face, and he looked genuinely troubled. “People only go there to…”

His fists clenched around his upper arms, and the furrow between his eyebrows looked pained rather than angry. Hyakkimaru wondered why he was taking this so personally. He waited to see if Tahōmaru would finish his sentence, but the boy merely pursed his lips. Not that it mattered; Hyakkimaru knew what he meant.

“I don’t want to make a deal with the demons,” Hyakkimaru said. A flicker of surprise crossed Tahōmaru’s face.

“Then why do you want to go?” he demanded. “Even I’ve never been in it. It’s cursed.”

Hyakkimaru shrugged, still not sure he wanted to go. Maybe he could find some closure if he went. But was it worth reopening the wound to get it?

Tahōmaru opened his mouth again but the shoji door opened, interrupting him. All three boys turned to look at the woman in the doorway. Hyakkimaru halfway expected Aunt Mae, but instead there stood a shorter woman in colorful, multi-layered kimono. She blinked, clearly not expecting to have found them there, either. The déjà vu feeling came back with a vengeance along with the headache, and Hyakkimaru put a hand to his temple.

Tahōmaru grinned, looking happy for the first time since Hyakkimaru had met him.

“Mother!” He rushed over to her. “What brings you here?”

“I heard voices in here, and I thought perhaps Mikuzume-sama had come by.” The woman smiled at her son before looking past him at the guests. “But now I see you have other guests.”

Hyakkimaru shifted into a kneeling bow to her, subtly kicking Dororo when he was too slow to follow. She, at least, seemed kind enough, and her soul flame was warm. It reminded him of how Ojiya’s felt, but without the hard edge and streaks of red.

“Thank you for your hospitality.” He gestured between Dororo and himself. “Ta — Mikuzume is our aunt. I’m Hyakkimaru, and this is my otōto, Dororo.”

She returned the bow with a nod of her head.

“I am Nui no Kata. Any family of Mikuzume-sama is welcome here.” She paused and studied Hyakkimaru. “Have we met?”

Hyakkimaru shook his head as both Tahōmaru and Dororo gave him curious looks.

“I’ve never been to this city before.” He ignored their looks and wondered why the déjà vu wouldn’t go away. There was something about her that felt familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Her shoulders slumped just a hair, as though she were disappointed.

“My mistake, then.” She sighed and turned to her son. “Tahōmaru, did you find out what the commotion this morning was about?”

Tahōmaru’s face made a complicated expression where it seemed he couldn’t decide whether to laugh, scowl, or sigh heavily and dramatically. He shrugged and tucked his hands into his sleeves.

“Some drifter picked a fight with Father. I don’t believe it’s anything to worry about.”

Dororo giggled and elbowed Hyakkimaru in the side, so Hyakkimaru hit him on the shoulder. Nui no Kata hid a smile in her sleeve and turned her attention back to them.

“You two seem young, for travelers.” She looked down at Dororo, who was still small for his age. He puffed up and put his hands on his hips.

“I'm nine and a half!” He said proudly. “And Aniki will be fifteen at the end of summer.”

Nui no Kata gave Hyakkimaru another searching look, but he wasn't sure she found what she was looking for. She gave them a small smile.

“I'll leave you to your guests, Tahōmaru.” She gave her son a polite nod which he returned, and left.

Once she had left and shut the door, Tahōmaru returned his attention back to Hyakkimaru.

“You still haven't answered my questions,” he said. Hyakkimaru blinked and tore his gaze from the door. Though Tahōmaru had calmed from his earlier testiness, he still gave Hyakkimaru a look that implied he wouldn't be dropping the matter. Hyakkimaru still wondered the real reason this mattered so much to Tahōmaru. It seemed far-fetched, in Hyakkimaru’s mind, for a lord’s heir to have no ulterior motive beyond helping his people, and the desperation creeping into the boy’s expression only strengthened the suspicion that this was more personal. Hyakkimaru sighed and met his eyes.

“I’ll make you a deal. If you take me to the Hall of Hell, then I’ll tell you something about the demons.” He gestured vaguely between them. He'd tell Tahōmaru just enough to get him to back off, but he had no plans to reveal anything specific. “Does that sound fair?”

Tahōmaru didn’t look happy at the proposal, but he bit his lip in consideration. After a moment he nodded sharply.

“Can you ride horseback?” He asked. Hyakkimaru nodded. Turning to Dororo, he noticed his brother giving him an assessing look.

“Are you coming?” he asked Dororo. The boy tilted his head, blinked, and gave him a nonchalant grin.

“Nah, I think I’ll explore the town a little.” He put his hands behind his head. “I’ve always wanted to see what city life is like.”

Hyakkimaru sighed, pulled out their string of coins, and handed over a few of them. He could recognize that his brother was trying to give him some space, and he appreciated the thought, but the idea of Dororo wandering around unsupervised was unsettling.

“Try not to get into too much trouble, okay? I don’t want to have to bail you out if you piss off the wrong person.”

“C’mon, Aniki, don’t you trust me?” Dororo’s shit-eating grin spread as Hyakkimaru frowned down at him. Deciding to drop the matter, he nodded to Tahōmaru, who strode from the room with a jerk of his head, indicating Hyakkimaru should follow.

The path to the Hall of Hell was circuitous, as though the architects hadn’t wanted anyone to find the place. They tethered their horses at the base of the staircase. Tahōmaru stared up at the building for several moments, a complicated and unhappy expression on his face. Leaving him to his pondering, Hyakkimaru climbed the stairs and strode to the doors, intending to throw them open and get it over with. When he stood before them, however, he hesitated. Did he really want to go in there?

Tahōmaru came up beside him and gave him a raised eyebrow. Nodding once, Hyakkimaru indicated for him to go ahead. The doors creaked as Tahōmaru pushed them open. It was dark inside, and the sunlight entering the doorway had trouble illuminating the gloom. Tahōmaru hesitated on the threshold. Steeling his nerves, Hyakkimaru walked past him into the Hall and looked around. It was built like a temple, but the statues made a clear mockery of that. They sneered down at him, their faces twisted into all sorts of horrible expressions. Tentative footsteps behind him signaled Tahōmaru’s entrance.

“I’ve heard that the person who carved these went mad when he finished,” the younger teen said. Hyakkimaru nodded, wondering what had inspired such a creation in the first place. He approached one statue and ran a hand over its clawed foot. The carved wood was smooth and cold.

“They don’t look like these statues, you know,” he said, gazing around more. He didn’t recognize a single one.

“What are you talking about?”

“The demons. These statues… they don’t really show you what they’re like.”

Hyakkimaru wasn't sure what made the words come out of his mouth. He'd promised to give Tahōmaru information, but he hadn't intended to tell him anything specific. Something about this place — perhaps the atmosphere, or the knowledge that this place was where his own father had sold him — compelled him to talk about the demons as he knew them.

“How the hell would you know that?” Tahōmaru demanded. Hyakkimaru shrugged.

“I’ve met them. Most of them, anyway. They’re more complex than just these…” He waved a hand around the temple, “destructive beasts.”

Tahōmaru’s hand shot out and grabbed a fistful of Hyakkimaru’s kimono. The anger in his eyes shone in the dim lighting.

“You’d better start explaining,” he spat through gritted teeth. “Are you working with them?”

Hyakkimaru took hold of Tahōmaru’s wrist and pulled, but the younger boy didn’t relinquish his hold.

“They’re my family,” Hyakkimaru said, trying to get free. “They saved my life and helped raise me when I had no one.”

Tahōmaru’s grip loosened as shock slackened his features. Hyakkimaru knocked his hand away and stepped out of arm’s reach.

“That — they’re demons. Why would they do that?” Tahōmaru’s eyes searched his face. “You must be lying.”

Hyakkimaru crossed his arms and took a deep breath. He didn’t owe Tahōmaru anything, least of all his life’s story, but somehow being here where it had all begun made him want to recount the tale. He slowly and deliberately strode to the center of the room, wondering if that was where his father had stood when he made the deal that sealed his own fate all those years ago.

“Fourteen years ago, a man came to this hall and made a deal with the demons. He wanted — well, the demons tell me he asked for the power to conquer and rule over the whole country. He offered them anything they wanted in return.” Hyakkimaru stared up at the statues, ignoring the boy beside him. “The demons chose to take his son. They each took one of the child’s body parts, and when he was born, the man cast away what was left. He put the child in a tub on the river and left him to die.”

A rueful smile, thin and humorless, crossed Hyakkimaru’s expression.

“And I probably would have died, if Minogame hadn’t found me.”

A sharp intake of breath reminded him of Tahōmaru’s presence. He looked back at the boy to find him staring with a horrified expression and all the color drained from his face. Hyakkimaru raised an eyebrow.

“You mean… you’re—?” Tahōmaru swallowed and didn’t finish his sentence. Hyakkimaru nodded anyway.

“Minogame, Lady Bandai, Sagari, and Tamamo no Mae decided that fate must have intended for us to meet again. They found a doctor and brought me to him. He’s a better father — a better man — than one who’d sell his own flesh and blood could ever hope to be.” Hyakkimaru felt a dry laugh force its way out of his throat. “I’m made more of demonically given body parts than human ones, and my family is just as much of a patchwork as my body.”

Tahōmaru made a strange groaning noise and ran a hand backward through his hair, making it stick up more than ever. Distress and confusion radiated from him.

“Who — who was this man?” his eyes were pleading, but Hyakkimaru didn't know what for.

“I don't know his name,” Hyakkimaru said, “and I don't want to.”

Tahōmaru groaned again and put his face in his hands. Hyakkimaru approached cautiously, confused about the reaction. When he got close enough, he could make out that Tahōmaru was muttering to himself.

“How could he? How could he do that?” The boy asked, voice quiet. He looked up at Hyakkimaru again, jolting when he noticed how much closer he'd come. “So the demons… they're good?”

“No, not as humans would define it.” Hyakkimaru shook his head. “They're… chaos, and disorder, and instinct. But they're not good, and they're not evil, because they’re not human. They just are.”

Tahōmaru looked a little dazed. He nodded, squared his shoulders, and turned to the door.

“I have to go.”

“Wait a minute, you were so ready to interrogate me earlier, and now you're leaving, just like that?” Hyakkimaru stepped around into his path and glared. “Make up your damn mind!”

Tahōmaru gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists once again, glaring at the dusty floor.

“Thank you for the information. Now get out of my way. I have duties to attend to,” he spat. Hyakkimaru huffed in annoyance and stepped to the side. Tahōmaru bolted from the temple and down the staircase. Untethering his horse, he swiftly mounted and rode back down the trail. Hyakkimaru watched him go. With a growl of frustration, he turned back to stare into the Hall of Hell and at the fearsome statues grinning out at him from the gloom. Grabbing the handles of the heavy wooden doors, he pulled them closed. They swung shut with a final-sounding boom.

He stared at the closed doors, letting his hands fall from the handles. Coming here hadn’t solved anything. He descended the stairs, untied the horse Tahōmaru had lent him, and mounted it, nudging it towards the town with his heels. Maybe he should just leave the horse at the inn or something rather than returning it. It would serve that jerk right if it got stolen.

He had barely entered the town when Dororo ran down the road towards him, a desperate expression on his face. Hyakkimaru had last seen that expression on his face the night he’d first talked to Arijigoku, and Dororo still hadn’t told him what that had been about. He pulled the horse to a stop and stretched his hand down to pull his brother up onto the saddle, worry clenching in his chest.

“Aniki, there you are!” Dororo panted as he took the proffered hand. “We need to get to the border wall!”

“Why? What’s going on?” Hyakkimaru hauled him up and guided him to sit in front. Dororo wiggled to get settled and craned his neck to look back.

“Aunt Mae got into a big argument with some oni up there. It looked like they were about to get violent!” His eyebrows furrowed. “You gotta do the thing you did with Aunt Bandai and Kanekozo, where you get them to compromise!”

“Dororo, what were you doing up there? Why didn’t you call me with your mind?” Hyakkimaru kicked the horse into a canter.

“I panicked, okay?” Dororo huffed. “I met this kid who got separated from his parents when they built the wall, so Sasuke and Hanzo helped me take him home, and then we saw Aunt Mae with that oni. Hanzo told me to run and get you, so I did.”

If Hanzo was worried enough to send Dororo away from the confrontation, it must be worse than Dororo made it sound. Hyakkimaru kicked the horse to go faster, urging it towards Banmon.

 

* * *

 

Tahōmaru rode home in a daze. His mind was a mess of white noise that refused to coalesce into coherent thoughts. Though he allowed his horse to walk as slowly as it wanted to, he still made it back to the manor far sooner than he was ready for.

_ That can’t be him. That can’t be him. He died. That can’t be him. _

The thoughts repeated through his brain as he stabled his horse, distantly realizing that he’d left the other one behind. He could barely focus on his path as he entered the manor, and he nearly ran into a servant carrying an armful of linens. Waving away her apology, he headed for the inner courtyard. He had to find his mother. He had to tell her…

What? What would telling her about Hyakkimaru solve? Part of Tahōmaru hoped that this revelation was wrong and that it was a huge coincidence, but he knew better. This was fate if he’d ever seen it. His mother’s reaction to Hyakkimaru when she’d seen him, along with the nagging sense of familiarity that Tahōmaru had felt around him, convinced him.

Hyakkimaru was his long-lost brother.

Their father had sold Hyakkimaru to the demons and, rather than dying, Hyakkimaru had lived and thrived. He didn’t need Tahōmaru or their mother. He had his own family, and he’d said it earlier; he didn’t want to know who his blood family was.

That hurt more than Tahōmaru had thought it would. For years he’d mourned and planned how to avenge his brother, and now it turned out that it had all been pointless. All of his mother’s prayers for an infant’s soul had been a wasted effort. She deserved to know about him, however. Maybe she would be glad to know that he’d survived and was happy, even if it wasn’t with her in his life.

He headed for his mother’s rooms, hoping she would be there, but Hyogo and Mutsu intercepted him.

“Young lord, there you are!” Mutsu’s relief at finding him was palpable, and Tahōmaru wondered how long they’d been looking. “Your father has summoned you. It sounded urgent.”

Tahōmaru scowled. He was in no mood to see the man who had sold his brother to demons so soon after finally meeting said brother. For years, he'd been able to push it down and not let it bother him too much because it had only been an abstract 'what could have been' to him. But since yesterday, when Hyogo and Mutsu had told him about meeting someone who knew about the demons, it had become so much more immediate and upsetting. He wasn’t sure he could keep himself from saying something that would get him punished when he saw his father, but it would be worse to ignore his summons. With a quick word of thanks to his retainers, he changed course and headed for his father’s quarters. Hyogo and Mutsu followed. Though he noticed them exchanging a concerned look, he wasn’t in the mood to explain himself. He would tell them what he’d learned after he met with his father.

Tahōmaru opened his father’s door to find the man in full armor, staring at a map of the town and the surrounding area. The sight was unexpected enough that apprehension overtook Tahōmaru’s anger at the man.

“Father? What’s going on? Why have you called for me?”

Daigo glanced up.

“Ah, Tahōmaru. There you are. It’s time for you to put all of your training to good use.” He jabbed a finger at the map. “I’ve received word that the Asakura army plans to attack us tonight. We will meet them at Banmon and finish this pointless skirmish once and for all. Go put your armor on.”

Tahōmaru stiffened. His father had been so resistant to letting him fight before now, and suddenly he was to participate in a decisive battle against the Asakura army?

Daigo was no longer looking at him. Tahōmaru clenched his jaw. If he said anything now, he would likely end up confronting his father about Hyakkimaru, and he knew now wasn’t the time. He recognized the look in the man’s eyes — Daigo was too focused on the upcoming battle to hear anything Tahōmaru might say to him. He bowed stiffly.

“Yes, Father.”

Tahōmaru wondered briefly what his relationship with his father would be like if he didn't carry the resentment about what the man had done to his first son. For so long the knowledge had colored Tahōmaru’s interactions with his father, though as a rule they never outright acknowledged the matter. If he didn't know, would he still blindly follow and worship the man the way he had before his mother had told him?

Hyogo and Mutsu helped him don his armor and put their own on, assuring him that they wouldn’t leave his side during the battle. He nodded gratefully to them. He tried to put the matter of his brother out of his mind — any distraction could cost him his life. 

He was heading for the stables for the second time that day, Hyogo and Mutsu in tow, when his mother intercepted him.

“Tahōmaru!” she called. He halted and watched her approach. The worry on her face and in her posture only served to put him further on edge.

“Mother? What’s wrong?” He asked, taking her hand in his when she reached out to him.

“It’s about Mikuzume-sama. She came by earlier after you left with your guest, but then she told me she had to go meet someone at Banmon. If she gets caught in the battle—”

Tahōmaru’s blood ran cold at the thought of his mother’s best friend caught defenseless in a battle between two opposing armies. For all of Mikuzume-sama’s skill with words, he’d never seen her carry a weapon. What would losing another person do to his mother?

“I’ll look for her, I promise.” Tahōmaru put his free hand over his heart. He hesitated. Should he tell her about Hyakkimaru? Would it be cruel to tell her when she was already so worried about her friend? His mouth opened, but the words stuck in his throat.

“Young lord, we must go.” Hyogo put his hand on Tahōmaru’s shoulder, regaining his attention. Right, they had a battle to fight.

“I’ll see you after the battle, Mother, and I’ll make sure Mikuzume-sama is safe.” He dropped her hand and bowed to her. The worry in her face didn’t ease, but she nodded.

“Please be safe,” she whispered and bowed in return. He nodded in acknowledgment and resumed his walk to the stables. His horse was already fitted with its tack and saddle. Mounting quickly, he rode up to join his father at the head of the gathering army. Hyogo and Mutsu flanked him. When his father gave the word, they headed towards Banmon.

Nothing could have prepared him for the sight that greeted them when they crested the rise and approached the wall. The Asakura army was there, but they were staying well away from Banmon. Their hesitance was understandable, as at the top of the hill, a red oni as tall as the wall and a massive white nine-tailed kitsune postured aggressively at each other, clearly moments away from a fight. Between the two stood Hyakkimaru, hands outstretched to keep the demons apart.

 

* * *

 

Hyakkimaru pushed the horse into a gallop the moment they were out of the town and headed for Banmon. He wondered what help he could be if Aunt Mae was having trouble with this oni. The fact that he'd managed to solve things diplomatically with Aunt Bandai and with Arijigoku was more the product of luck and Dororo’s ingenuity than anything he had done.

Banmon came into view, and Hyakkimaru pulled the horse to a halt at the sight of the red oni standing before the wall. The taller demon was shouting and swinging his fists at Aunt Mae. Hyakkimaru jumped from the horse.

“Dororo, take the horse and get into the trees. This might get violent.”

Dororo looked like he wanted to argue, but the oni chose that moment to stomp a massive foot, sending tremors through the ground. Gazing worriedly at the wall, Dororo nodded and grabbed the reins.

“Don’t get killed, Aniki.” He guided the horse to barely within the treeline, and Hyakkimaru spared a moment to be grateful for Sagari's riding lessons. He turned and sprinted up the hill, heading for the wall and the arguing pair of demons. As he drew closer the shouting grew clear enough to understand the words.

“— Pathetic! You’ve become nothing more than a lapdog!” the oni bellowed, swiping at Aunt Mae again. She dodged and snapped at the fist, teeth missing by a hair.

“Big talk for a drunkard!” she barked. A fireball appeared at the tip of each of her nine tails and she flung them at the oni. He ducked, but two hit him in the chest, and he bellowed in pain. “You’re still that angry little boy who got a mask stuck on his face!”

The oni shouted in wordless fury and managed to backhand Aunt Mae in the face. Her claws left deep furrows in the dirt as she skidded aside several feet. Closing her teeth around the fingers which had struck her, she clung to him as he yanked his hand up and tried to shake her off. When she dropped from his arm, she landed lightly on her feet and danced away from his kicking legs. Blood dripped from her muzzle and his hand. One of the oni’s kicks caught her under the chin, and she went flying to land on her back a few yards from Hyakkimaru.

“Aunt Mae!” He ran up and crouched beside her, holding his hands out uselessly as she flipped onto her feet again and whirled to face the oni with a snarl.

“Stay out of this. This is between me and Shuten Dōji.” Her eyes darted to the side to give Hyakkimaru a split-second’s glare before returning her golden gaze to the oni.

“What’s going on? Who is he?”

Aunt Mae chuckled darkly and licked some of the blood from around her mouth.

“An upstart.” She lunged again, snapping at Shuten Dōji’s feet.

“An upstart? We’re the same, you mangy dog! We’re both of the  _ Nihon san dai aku yōkai _ !” the oni roared. “You’ve always thought you were better, but look at you now! Tamed at the hands of a human boy!”

“The three most evil yōkai of Japan? That’s a category the humans put us in! You’ve always clung to that, but you know we’re not the same!” Shrill barking laughs filled the air as Aunt Mae wove and dodged around his feet, smacking him with more fireballs from her tails. “You’re a human whose hatred consumed him, and I knew Emperor Sutoku when he was still a human boy as well! But I’ve always been this, the most powerful of all of us, and what I choose to do with my power is none of your concern!”

Hyakkimaru was frozen in place, listening to the argument in increasing bewilderment. Aunt Mae had mentioned being one of the  _ Nihon san dai aku yōkai _ before but hadn’t elaborated much on it. From the sound of it, this oni was mad about Aunt Mae’s relationship with Hyakkimaru, but why did he care? Hyakkimaru straightened and cautiously approached, keeping out of striking range of the oni’s flailing limbs.

The sound of a multitude of hoofbeats all marching together caught Hyakkimaru’s ears. Looking down the hill to the Asakura side of the border, he saw an army approaching. He groaned — the last thing this situation needed was some petty samurai squabble to complicate matters. Hyakkimaru could pinpoint the moment the general spotted the demons. The man pulled his horse to a stop and signaled to the whole army, halting their movements. Hyakkimaru threw caution to the wind and ran to get between Shuten Dōji and Aunt Mae, who had leaped back to avoid another fist. He held out his hands as if that could keep them apart.

“We’re about to have a bigger problem than your pissing contest,” he said, glaring up at the oni, who had paused his attack out of pure surprise. “If the Asakura army is here, that means the Daigo army will be right behind.”

As if his words had summoned them, the Daigo army crested the ridge with the man himself at the head. Tahōmaru rode next to him, and the shock and recognition in the boy’s eyes when he spotted them would have been hilarious if Hyakkimaru wasn’t currently worried about getting caught in a four-way skirmish between two demons and two armies. Shuten Dōji chuckled, a low and hateful sound. Tearing his gaze from the Daigo army, Hyakkimaru looked up at him warily. He was grinning cruelly.

“Oh, this is better than I could have hoped. I finally get all the havoc I’ve been hoping to see for years.”

“Wha—” Hyakkimaru didn’t get to finish, as the oni swung both fists down at him and he barely leaped out of the way in time. The fists crashed into the ground and sent tremors through the earth. Hyakkimaru backed up to stand next to Aunt Mae.

“I told you to stay out of this,” she snarled at him. “He’s not the kind to see reason.”

Shuten Dōji’s laughter grew in volume as he swung at both of them, clapping his hands together on empty air as they leaped aside.

“You may have corrupted all the rest of the forty-eight, boy, but you can't fool me.” He grabbed for Hyakkimaru again. “You’ve tamed them —  turned them into pets! A human has no place among us!”

Hyakkimaru didn’t know how to respond to the oni’s accusations. The demons were his family. They’d  _ chosen _ to take him in, hadn’t they?

“Don’t talk about things you don’t understand, Shuten Dōji. No one has tamed me!” Aunt Mae leaped forward, grabbing his forearm in her jaws and biting down hard enough to send blood spurting from the wound. Shuten Dōji howled and shook his arm, attempting to get her off, but she held fast. He spun and slammed her into the last remaining section of Banmon, shattering the structure and sending boards flying. Aunt Mae yelped in pain and fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

“Aunt Mae!” Hyakkimaru screamed, racing over to her. She was still breathing, but she didn’t respond when he called her name again. Blood trickled from her mouth, and he prayed that it was the oni’s and not hers. Shuten Dōji’s laughter rang in his ears.

“She’s been so focused on undermining the deal we made that she’s grown weak and powerless,” the oni scoffed. “What sort of demon interferes with a man causing so much destruction and chaos?”

“Shut up!” Hyakkimaru yelled, standing and pulling off his right forearm. “What have you been doing all these years, huh? Sitting around with your thumbs up your ass? I haven’t heard about you causing any grand destruction either.”

Shuten Dōji growled and swiped at Hyakkimaru, who swung his sword up to meet the fist. He left a shallow gash across the oni’s wrist.

“At least I haven’t lowered myself to taking a human disguise and insinuating myself in that man’s family! The old Tamamo no Mae would have just killed them! You’ve made her soft!” Shuten Dōji kicked at Hyakkimaru. He leaped backward and tried not to let the confusion show on his face. He hadn’t done anything to Aunt Mae, or any of the other demons. Anything that she did surely had an endgame to it which only she could discern — he’d learned that when he finally realized why she’d brought Dororo and his parents to his home. Then the oni’s words clicked in his brain and he stopped.

“Wait, his family?” he asked, a terrible suspicion creeping into his mind. He prayed he was wrong.

“They don’t even realize that ‘Mikuzume’, their loyal friend, is a demon who’s been working against them this whole time! She’s a coward!” Shuten Dōji gestured towards the Daigo army, but Hyakkimaru couldn’t bring himself to look. “Are you so naïve you couldn’t piece together that the most ruthless samurai lord in Japan is the same man who sold you to us?”

Hyakkimaru couldn’t look. He hadn’t wanted to know. The oni laughed cruelly at him. Reaching out one massive arm, he grabbed the pillar which had supported the last remaining section of the wall, yanking it from the ground and pulling large clumps of earth up with it. The dirt showered over Aunt Mae, who didn’t react.

“That man is practically a demon himself! We should be helping him, not his cast-off, unwanted offspring.”

Hyakkimaru reeled back, feeling as if he’d been physically hit. Shuten Dōji cackled at him, hefted the pillar in his hands, and threw it. It spun horizontally as it flew towards the Asakura army, knocking into the general and taking out a good portion of the front-line soldiers. Wrenching the other pillar from the ground, the oni hefted it up, and someone near the front of the army sounded a retreat. The second pillar came flying at them and took out another chunk of the fleeing soldiers. Hyakkimaru winced at the screaming in the air. He could feel himself slipping into the same rage and bloodlust that had gripped him when he’d attacked the soldiers who’d come after Mio, and he let it overtake him. Shuten Dōji may be one of the forty-eight, but he wasn’t family.

Sinking his teeth into his left forearm and wrenching it off, he took advantage of the oni’s distraction and darted towards his legs to slash deep cuts into the meat of his thigh. Shuten Dōji roared in anger and pain. He grabbed for Hyakkimaru, but Nihil helped him bring his left arm up and slice off three of the oni’s fingers. The blood splashed onto his face, and he carelessly wiped at it with his shoulder before swinging again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New demons in this chapter:  
> \- [Shuten Dōji,](http://yokai.com/shutendouji/) one of the "three most evil demons of Japan", along with Tamamo no Mae and [Sutoku Tennō](http://yokai.com/sutokutennou/) (mentioned).
> 
> Thank you so much, Fetuscakes. I'm not exaggerating when I say this fic wouldn't be nearly as fun to write or read without your help.
> 
> feedback is SUUUUPER appreciated. I feel like a junkie constantly checking my email for a new ~~fix~~ comment.


	14. Are All Family Reunions This Awkward?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can't go back to how things were before you knew, but you can decide how you'll go forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with this chapter, we wrap up the Banmon arc, for better or for worse, and this fic will go on hiatus for a few weeks while I write my Kurofai Olympics entry and try to survive the crunch time of opening two operas in one weekend.
> 
> I just want to give a huge thank you to everyone who has given me feedback and ideas. This fic wouldn't be what it is without you guys.

"That’s him! That’s the monster that attacked us and cut off my arm!”

Tahōmaru wrenched his gaze away from the ongoing fight between his brother and the oni to see who had spoken. One of the soldiers who stood behind his father had a bandage wrapped around what was left of his right arm, and he collapsed as his knees gave out. Tahōmaru wondered why this man was here if he was so recently injured, but his father had likely not given him a choice. He wrinkled his nose in revulsion as he noticed that the soldier had wet himself.

Why wasn't anyone reacting to what the oni had actually said? They had all flinched in fear when it threw those pillars at the Asakura army, effectively negating the need for their battle, but when his booming voice had revealed those secrets no one had uttered a sound. Tahōmaru didn't know whether to feel more betrayed on his brother’s behalf that this demon was attacking him, or on his own about Mikuzume-sama.

He felt sick at the thought that the fox he’d just seen get smashed into the wall, that Hyakkimaru had shown such concern over, was the same woman he’d known all these years. Had she been manipulating them, as the oni had said? If so, to what end?

Kami-sama, what would his mother do when she learned about this?

Daigo made a frustrated growl, and Tahōmaru looked at him warily.

“This boy is clearly the one controlling the monsters,” he announced. “He’s manipulating them. Archers! Shoot the boy!”

Tahōmaru gaped at his father. Everyone had heard what the oni said. Did he really think that he could still stretch the truth like that?

“But, Sire, the oni—” one of the archers protested, but Daigo held up a hand to cut him off.

“It will leave once the boy is dead. Shoot him!"

Tahōmaru gritted his teeth and, knowing he was making a stupid decision, kicked his horse to put himself between the archers and the pair fighting above them.

“Tahōmaru, what are you doing? Get back into formation!” Daigo barked. Tahōmaru glared at him and raised his chin in defiance.

“You all heard what the oni said! That’s my brother up there!” He stared down his father and dropped his voice, though it was still loud enough for those around him to hear. “Hasn't he already suffered enough at your hands, Father?”

Lord Daigo glared at his son, growing increasingly enraged. Hyogo and Mutsu gaped at him, and the archers all sat there with their arrows nocked, waiting for him to get out of their line of fire. Tahōmaru gritted his teeth. He’d had years to deal with the fact that his father had sold his brother to the demons, but now that he saw how willing his father still was to kill his own flesh and blood, he couldn't stay complacent. If he’d been born first, that would have been him, wouldn't it?

Daigo opened his mouth, but whatever words he yelled were drowned out by a thunderous roar from the oni. Everyone's focus immediately returned to the hill, Tahōmaru's defiance temporarily forgotten.

The oni was on his hands and knees, bleeding heavily from a number of large gashes across his body. Hyakkimaru leaped up onto his back and slashed at the oni's neck, eliciting another roar of pain. Two more slashes severed the spine. The oni fell forward, collapsing into the dirt. Hyakkimaru straightened, shoulders heaving from his gasping breaths. His expression was blank, wide-eyed with teeth clenched around his wooden forearm. Blinking, he shook his head and leaped from the oni’s back, flinging drops of blood everywhere. His jaw relaxed and the joined forearms he’d been holding tumbled to the ground. A pained cry wrenched itself from his throat as he fell to his knees.

Tahōmaru didn't realize he was moving until his feet thumped onto the ground and he was running up the hill. Panic tried to rise and overwhelm him. Had the oni injured Hyakkimaru? Was he going to lose his brother so soon after finding him? Ignoring the shouts of anger and concern coming from behind him, he sprinted towards where Hyakkimaru had curled in on himself. The older boy made small, quiet whimpers of pain, and his face scrunched up in agony. Tahōmaru watched in horror as the sword blade in his left arm fell out and clattered to the ground, followed by the rest of the wooden limb. Tahōmaru hesitated several paces away, unsure if he should get closer. He was glad he’d dismounted, as approaching on horseback would likely make him seem like a threat.

“Aniki!”

The shout came from off to the side. Tahōmaru spared a glance towards the trees in time to see the little brat — Dororo — running from their protection towards Hyakkimaru. As short as his legs were, he still managed to arrive at Hyakkimaru’s side in moments, whereupon he helped slide the right forearm over the remaining exposed blade and pressed his forehead to the older boy’s, speaking too softly for Tahōmaru to hear. Hyakkimaru clutched at his left shoulder.

"I didn't want this…" Hyakkimaru's voice was almost a whimper. Tahōmaru took a few cautious steps towards them. Dororo looked up when he heard his footsteps. Grasping the discarded blade by the tang, he glared at Tahōmaru, protective anger clear in his eyes.

"Don’t come any closer! Get away!" He snarled. Tahōmaru held up his hands, palms out.

"Is— is he injured?" Tahōmaru glanced at Hyakkimaru's face, which he'd buried in Dororo's shoulder. The little bit still visible was pinched up in pain. Dororo searched Tahōmaru's face. Though he pressed his lips together, his shoulders relaxed and he set down the sword. His hands went to Hyakkimaru’s shoulders.

“Aniki? Are you hurt?”

Hyakkimaru shook his head once, scrubbing his forehead into Dororo’s shoulder. At a loss for what to do, Tahōmaru looked over to where the fox lay amongst broken boards and clumps of earth.

“Mikuzume-sama…” the name forced its way from his throat in a pained murmur. He’d known her for eleven years and come to consider her family as much as he did Hyogo and Mutsu. To think that she was actually Tamamo no Mae, one of the most notorious demons in history… it hurt. He hesitated, torn between wanting to get away from her and wanting to make sure she would wake.

The two boys in front of him tensed before turning to look at where she lay. Dororo pulled away from Hyakkimaru and went to her side, putting his hands on her ruff and shaking.

“Aunt Mae? Aunt Mae, wake up.” He kept shaking, but she didn’t stir.

Horse hooves approached from behind. Tahōmaru spun to face whoever it was and came face to face with his father’s terrifyingly stony expression. Backing up a step, he put himself between his father and elder brother. Daigo barely noticed. He looked past Tahōmaru to Hyakkimaru, a sneer curling his features.

“You are a threat to this land and our prosperity,” he said, voice full of venom. “I should have made sure you died fourteen years ago.”

Hyakkimaru’s answering laugh was bitter and pained. Tahōmaru heard shifting behind him, and he turned to watch his elder brother lever himself up to stand on unsteady legs. Instead of the empty left sleeve Tahōmaru had expected to see, there was a real flesh-and-blood arm in place of the one which had fallen off, clutching the tang of his katana. Tahōmaru stared at it, bewildered.

“Too bad you’re too much of a coward,” the older boy goaded, flexing his new fingers around the steel and shaking out the wrist. “You couldn’t even come by your power honestly— you had to get demons to do it for you.”

Daigo’s hands clenched on the reins.

“Tahōmaru,” he barked. Tahōmaru snapped to attention and watched him as he clenched his jaw. “Kill him. Now.”

The angry and shocked buzzing in Tahōmaru’s mind nearly drowned out Hyakkimaru’s sharp inhale and Dororo’s loud cry of “no!”. How could his father ask that of him? How could he think Tahōmaru would obey such an order? In an instant, he made a decision: he’d rather have his brother than keep obeying his father, no matter the cost.

“Father, you can’t—” he began.

“No!”

The cry came from behind Daigo. It was a voice which had no business being on the battlefield. Daigo turned as far as he could while staying mounted, murmuring in shock. With more conviction than Tahōmaru had ever seen her possess before, Nui no Kata rode up, dismounted, and placed herself between her sons and her husband’s horse. Tahōmaru noted that she had foregone her outer robes, giving her a distinctly mussed and wild appearance. Hyogo and Mutsu pursued her, but hesitated and reined in their horses several yards away from the group. Mutsu called out to her but the lady ignored both retainers.

“Mother?” Tahōmaru gaped at her. She glanced briefly at him over her shoulder before returning her gaze to Daigo.

“If you want to harm either of my sons,” she said, voice low, “You’ll have to kill me to get to them.”

Daigo met her gaze and drew his sword, leveling it at her. She raised her chin in defiance.

“You have been insolent for far too long. Move, or I will do exactly that.”

Tahōmaru couldn’t speak, couldn’t even force any air from his lungs to protest. Onui didn't budge. Baring his teeth, Daigo clenched his fingers around the hilt of his katana.

A low growl came from behind, followed by a slow shifting, and Tamamo no Mae limped around Hyakkimaru to snarl at Daigo. She looked as though each movement pained her, but her teeth were still sharp and bloody when she bared them.

“The Asakura army is gone, Kagemitsu. You have no business here now.” Her voice was sharp, low, and raspy. Each breath wheezed through her bloody snout. “Go find a new lord to fight with.”

“Don’t think that just because—” Daigo began, but the fox growled again and shut him up.

“I have more power in my dewclaw than what we’ve granted you. I may not be able to harm you directly, but nothing says my pack can’t.”

As she spoke, will-o-the-wisps of blue foxfire appeared around the group on the hill and the Daigo army, materializing into snarling kitsune. A few of the braver soldiers shot arrows at the foxes and got teeth in their throats for their trouble. Tahōmaru glanced worriedly at Hyogo and Mutsu, but the foxes seemed content to leave them be, and Mutsu still had their bow lowered and un-nocked.

One arrow went wide and arced towards them. Tahōmaru braced himself to push his mother or brother out of the way, but Tamamo no Mae beat him to it. She reared up and rammed her side into Hyakkimaru. Falling backward, he cried out in horror as the arrow struck her in the right shoulder. Her scream rent the air.

“Mikuzume-sama!” Onui gasped, hands flying up to cover her mouth. The fox shook her whole body and stood protectively over Hyakkimaru.

“You sold this boy to us, Kagemitsu, and we have claimed him as our own. Should you or your soldiers make _any_ attempt to take him from us, we will consider the deal broken.” She glared up at Daigo with her wild golden eyes, and the man gulped when he saw how serious she was. "And there will be nothing to stop me from ripping your throat out."

Hesitating only a moment, Daigo gestured for the army to retreat and turned his horse. He looked back to glare down at his wife and younger son.

“You two. Back to the manor. I’ll deal with you later,” he growled. Tahōmaru met his mother’s eyes and saw in them the same defiance he felt. He turned back to his father.

“I’m staying here.” He crossed his arms. Daigo twitched, ready to begin yelling again, but another growl from Tamamo no Mae halted that. With one last, long glare, he turned and rode away. The only ones left behind were the soldiers the foxes had killed, as well as Hyogo and Mutsu.

Tamamo no Mae staggered, then collapsed onto her belly. Hyakkimaru barely scrambled away in time to avoid her landing on top of him. He and Dororo called out in alarm, going to her side and inspecting the arrow wound. Tahōmaru’s stomach turned when he saw how much blood had matted the white fur of her right shoulder and foreleg.

Onui dropped to her knees in front of the fox and shuffled forward, pulling her furry head into her lap. Blood smeared across her kimono and hands.

“Mother, what are you doing here?” Tahōmaru knelt beside her. “How long have you been here?”

“Long enough to hear what that oni had to say,” she said, stroking the fur on top of Tamamo no Mae’s head. “I’m tired of sitting around bemoaning fate instead of doing something about it.”

She looked at Hyakkimaru, who met her gaze warily. Her brow furrowed and she pinched her lips together.

“I’m so sorry it took me so long to find the courage.” She bowed her head to him. Her shoulders shook, and a soft sob escaped her. Tears dripped onto Tamamo no Mae’s head. Hyakkimaru blinked and shifted, confusion and discomfort written across his face. Tamamo no Mae’s low chuckle saved him from having to respond.

“You don’t seem very surprised about all of this, Nui-sama.” Cracking open one golden eye, the fox smirked up at Onui. “What gave it away?”

Onui gave her a watery laugh and bent forward over Tamamo no Mae’s face.

“I do know my folklore, my dear. You dropped enough hints, and besides—” She ran a hand through the long fur of the fox’s ruff, “— You forget to hide your tail when you’ve had too much sake.”

Tamamo no Mae closed her eye and relaxed into the touch.

“Such a clever human,” she laughed, licking Onui's hand once. “You’re my favorite.”

“Hey!” Hyakkimaru protested weakly, making her laugh again. Tahōmaru groaned and gave him a baleful look.

“Can you _please_ make your aunt stop flirting with our mother? It’s getting really uncomfortable.”

Hyakkimaru glared at him and held out his hands helplessly. “Do I look like I have any control over what she does?”

“I’ll stop when she stops enjoying it,” Tamamo no Mae said. Tahōmaru sighed and had to concede that there likely wasn’t anyone who could tell Tamamo no Mae what to do. Onui laughed in embarrassment, her cheeks coloring.

Mutsu cleared their throat, and Tahōmaru looked up at them and Hyogo. When had they dismounted?

“Touching as this is,” Mutsu said, “Perhaps we should get medical attention for those who need it?”

They eyed the arrow in Tamamo no Mae’s shoulder pointedly. The fox groaned, annoyed at the interruption, but she reluctantly pulled her head up.

“Sasuke! Hanzo!” she barked. Instead of Mikuzume-sama’s retainers appearing, as Tahōmaru expected, two golden foxes bounded over.

“Great-Grandmother, please don’t try to move,” the three-tailed one said in Hanzo’s voice. Well, Tahōmaru figured he should have seen this coming, considering everything else that had happened this afternoon.

“Is the pack unharmed?” Tamamo no Mae asked, ignoring him. Sasuke and Hanzo exchanged a glance.

“Aside from you?” Sasuke asked, twitching both tails. “Yes.”

Tamamo no Mae nodded and growled when the movement caused the arrow in her shoulder to shift.

“Very well. One of you, go fetch the doctor and bring him to my quarters in the manor. We’ll meet him there,” she said.

“What?” Hyakkimaru stared at her in horror. “You want to bring Dad _here_?”

Tamamo no Mae whacked him lightly with a tail.

“Who else do you know of who knows how to give medical treatment to demons?”

Hyakkimaru buried his face in his mismatched hands and groaned.

“Only because you guys give him so much practice…” he lamented. “What did you do _before_ you had him around?”

Tamamo no Mae sniffed and didn’t respond.

“Is it wise to take this… reunion back to the manor?” Hyogo asked. “Daigo-dono will undoubtedly be there by now.”

“What’s he gonna do?” Dororo tossed his hand dismissively. “Aunt Mae made it pretty clear what she’d do to him if he tried anything.”

Tahōmaru sighed and stood, wiping grass from his hakama.

“Hyogo is right, though. It’s still Father’s house, and he isn’t happy with any of us right now.” Tahōmaru said, trying for levity and failing spectacularly. He'd be lucky if his father didn't skin him alive when he went home. "Maybe Mikuzume-sama could get away with going back there, but the rest of us should probably avoid him for… a while."

Tamamo no Mae huffed in annoyance.

"Fine. Where do _you_ suggest that we go? I refuse to stay out here." She gave Tahōmaru a pointed look. He shrugged helplessly. He didn't actually have any other ideas. They couldn't very well show up at the inn with an injured kitsune in tow.

"Oh! I know! Let's go to Sukeroku's house!"

Everyone turned to stare at Dororo. Crossing his arms, he stared them down.

"He's my friend, and I helped him out, so he owes me. Besides, his Ma's real nice." He reached out and patted Tamamo no Mae's flank. "I'm sure there's enough room for Dad to work on you."

The fox gave him a censuring look which Dororo completely ignored. Sasuke made a considering noise and tilted his head.

"That's not a bad plan, actually. They're kind enough, and they live on the Asakura side of town, so Kagemitsu can't get to you." He grinned. "Hanzo, you take them there, and I'll fetch the doc."

Sasuke disappeared in a puff of flame.

"Wait, they're Asakura?" Tahōmaru protested, but he was too late. A wall of foxfire surrounded the entire group. When it died the scenery had changed to put them all in front of a tiny hovel near the outskirts of a small village. Tahōmaru hastily shed his jin-baori and folded it up as Dororo knocked on the door with a cheerful shout to its occupants. No need to flaunt his status and arouse more suspicion than they already would.

A boy about Dororo's age with dirty skin and wild hair opened the door. Peering out in suspicion, his eyes widened when he saw Dororo.

"Dororo? What are you doing here?" He asked, darting glances at the rest of the group. Dororo gave him a brief and laughably abridged assessment of the situation. Somehow he managed to leave out all mention of the oni and any revelations he may or may not have given anyone present.

"… So then my aunt got shot, and Dad's coming soon to help her. Can we hang out here for a little bit?"

"What? Dororo, who are all these people? You said you were just with your brother! We don't have room—"

"Sukeroku!" another voice scolded. Sukeroku's eyes went wide and he moved aside as the door opened further. Standing behind the boy was a haggard-looking middle-aged woman. "Are you being rude to guests, young man? I _know_ you can't have forgotten all of your manners while you were living like a street urchin."

"Ma…" Sukeroku whined. With nothing more than a motherly glare, the woman silenced her son. She studied the group at her door. Her gaze lingered on Tamamo no Mae before she met Dororo's eyes again.

"I certainly owe you more than just shelter for bringing my son back. We don't have much room in the house, but there's an empty stall in the stables nearby where your… aunt… could rest."

"Do I look like a horse?" Tamamo no Mae growled. The woman's eyes widened and she hastily bowed to the demon.

"I'm sorry, but that's all we have to offer." She shook a little bit. Hanzo stepped forward, now in human form.

"The stable will be fine. Thank you." He smiled down at the Sukeroku's mother, who returned it nervously. She straightened and indicated that they should follow. Despite the protests of nearly everyone in the group save Mutsu, Tamamo no Mae stood on three legs and limped after the woman. She only made it a few steps before Hanzo swooped in. With only the barest hint of effort, he lifted his great-grandmother the way one would a puppy, with one hand under her hind legs and the other under her ribs. It looked absurd with how big she was compared to Hanzo — like seeing a toddler carry a wolf. She growled and went limp, tails dragging on the ground.

"If _any_ of you _ever_ mention this to the other demons," she warned, " I will personally light you on fire."

 

* * *

 

Hyakkimaru sat against the back wall of the stable with his knees drawn up to his chest and watched the rest of the group he'd somehow gotten stuck with. Dororo and Sukeroku stood near the doorway, talking and laughing. However, Hyakkimaru noticed that Sukeroku's eyes kept darting to the stall where Nui no Kata sat in the hay next to Aunt Mae, and Dororo’s kept darting to _him_. The lady and Tahōmaru— his blood family, he supposed, though it was too surreal to think of them that way— were laughably out of place in a small stable which smelled of horses and hay. Tahōmaru had a look on his face like he'd just bitten into an unripe persimmon. Not looking any happier than their charge, his retainers stood protectively on either side of him.

Hanzo plopped down into the straw next to Hyakkimaru. Ignoring him, the boy instead looked down at his namesake blade and the new, fleshy hand gripping the tang. The sensation was slightly different from his wooden hand. Most noticeably, his wooden hand didn’t have the same give that the flesh of the new one did, and it affected how he gripped the tang. He wondered what it would feel like to touch other things with the pads of his new fingers.

“How’s your arm?” Hanzo asked. “Be honest.”

Hyakkimaru tilted his head enough to put Hanzo in his peripheral vision. The fox studied him, and his customary smirk was gone.

“… It aches a little,” he admitted, voice low. The fox next to him nodded.

“Sounds like how it feels when we grow new tails.” Hanzo stretched and groaned. “Growing pains, but worse.”

He reached into the front of his kimono and pulled out Hyakkimaru’s wooden left forearm. Confused, Hyakkimaru set down the blade and took it. The bark felt odd, with smooth and rough patches, under his new fingertips.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” He asked, inspecting the palm. Close as they were, he felt Hanzo shrug against his shoulder.

“I dunno. Plant it at that rice farm. Maybe a sakura tree will grow.”

An image of a tall sakura tree next to a golden rice field popped into Hyakkimaru’s mind, and a small smile curled at the corner of his mouth. That was a nice idea. He set the forearm down next to the blade. He’d need a tsuba, tsuka, and all the other hardware that went into a sword, now that it wasn’t in his arm. Nihil had moved into his right arm and was sulking in indignation. Faint wisps of outrage kept leaking through their mental connection to Hyakkimaru’s consciousness, though the tsukumogami had pulled away from him.

A flare of blue light filled the dim barn. Looking up, Hyakkimaru saw his dad and Sasuke in a dying ring of foxfire. Jukai blinked in the low lighting of the barn, taking in the motley group before his gaze landed on his eldest son.

“It hasn’t even been two days.” His tone was bemused and resigned, with no trace of anger. Hyakkimaru moved on instinct. Jumping up, he flung himself at his dad. Jukai wrapped him up into his big, safe arms with a small sigh. “Well? What sort of trouble did you get into this time?”

“Dad, I’m telling you, it just finds me!” Hyakkimaru grumbled into Jukai’s chest.

"I know it does. It always has." Jukai patted him on the back before taking him by the shoulders to inspect him. The doctor's eyes widened when he noticed Hyakkimaru's new arm. Shock quickly morphed to concern. He knew what it would take for Hyakkimaru to regain any of his original body parts, and the implications therein. “One of the demons—?”

Hyakkimaru nodded, fighting with the lump in his throat.

“Does it hurt? Are you injured?” Jukai pressed, giving him a more thorough inspection for injuries. Managing a small smile, Hyakkimaru shook his head.

“It’s sore, but I’m okay. Aunt Mae is the only one of us who got hurt.”

The naked relief in his dad’s eyes made him feel a little better as well. Reaching down, Jukai took his new flesh hand in his roughly calloused one. He inspected it and traced a finger over the creases in the palm, charting the lines that were not there before. Hyakkimaru basked in the feeling for a moment before bringing his hand to his dad’s cheek. The beard was rough and coarse beneath Hyakkimaru’s fingers — he’d known it was, but feeling it with skin and bark were two completely different sensations.

"What happened?" Jukai asked. Hyakkimaru felt his smile fall. He didn’t want to talk about it.

"Shuten Dōji decided to throw a little hissy fit about the human component of our family," Aunt Mae said before Hyakkimaru could figure out how to answer. "He won't be making that mistake again."

Hyakkimaru grimaced, looking down at the straw-covered floor of the barn. While he stewed in his thoughts, Dororo padded over to Jukai for a greeting hug. It took Hyakkimaru a few moments to put his confusion into words.

"I still don't understand why he went after you, though." He tilted his head at his aunt. "Why didn't he just attack me?"

Aunt Mae rolled her eyes and leaned back into Nui no Kata's side, allowing the woman to stroke through her fur.

"Shuten Dōji's hatred was what turned him from a hanyō to a full oni in the first place. If there's anything he hates more than humans, it's a demon who willingly associates with them. Not to mention his complete incomprehension of the concept of subtlety." She laughed, a little bit cruelly. "He never understood how much I've accomplished through my machinations. He only looked at the lack of blood beneath my claws and thought me weak."

"What about the other one you mentioned?" Hyakkimaru asked. "Emperor Sutoku? Does he feel the same?"

Aunt Mae snorted, closed her eyes, and laid her chin back onto Nui no Kata's knee.

"Sutoku-kun is still mad at me for killing Emperor Toba and causing that whole war of succession — which he lost all on his own. He's been avoiding me since then, though it was polite of him to drop by and give you that nose of yours in person." She sighed. "Now do you think we could get on with things? This arrow is starting to smart."

"Right, of course. Is anyone else injured?" Jukai sounded weary, in the way he normally did when dealing with demons and their antics. Then he blinked and shook his head. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm Doctor Jukai."

He bowed to Nui no Kata. Face taking on a panicked expression, she swiftly moved Aunt Mae's head from her lap — much to the demon's displeasure — and stood to bow in return, much lower than her station dictated. Jukai blinked in alarm.

"I am Nui no Kata. Thank you so much for everything." She straightened, and her eyes were full of tears. She clasped her hands over her heart, staring earnestly into the doctor's confused eyes. "It's such a relief to know my eldest son was safe and loved all these years."

Jukai made a strangled noise and looked at Hyakkimaru for confirmation. He nodded mutely. It wasn't like he could deny the familiarity he felt around her and Tahōmaru. With a small bemused smile, his dad turned back to the lady.

"Please, there's no need to thank me."

Hyakkimaru shifted uncomfortably. Accidentally meeting Tahōmaru's eyes from the other side of the two adults, he noticed that the other teen didn't look any less unnerved. They shared a commiserating grimace.

Nui no Kata looked like she wanted to continue, but Jukai had already turned his attention back to the reason he was there and walked past her into the stall where Aunt Mae lay. Kneeling beside her, he tilted his head to look at the wound from multiple angles.

"Is the arrow barbed?" He asked.

“No.” Mutsu stepped forward and pulled an arrow from their quiver, holding it out for Jukai. “It’s like this one. They’re standard issue.”

Jukai took the arrow. After inspecting it, he nodded briefly and handed it back.

“Good, that will make it easier to remove.” He stood again. “However, I think we need to go back to the clinic. I don’t have what I need to patch you up here.”

With a discontented grumble, Aunt Mae nodded. She shot the doctor a dirty look when he helped her to stand. The fact that she allowed the help at all told Hyakkimaru that she was far more injured than she let on.

“She also got tossed into a wall,” he said.

“Yeah, and it shattered!” Dororo waved his hands to mime an explosion.

“Not to mention that she was unconscious for some time afterward,” Tahōmaru added.

Jukai looked alarmed, and Nui no Kata’s face had gone worryingly pale. Meanwhile, Aunt Mae glared at the three boys.

“Right, I’ll check for broken ribs and a concussion, as well.” Jukai nodded to himself.

“Please, let me come with you!” Nui no Kata begged, moving into the doctor’s line of sight again. He blinked and opened his mouth, but no sound came out. She pressed on. “I was so afraid today when she got hurt. Please, allow me to help you.”

Jukai gave Aunt Mae a questioning look and, when she nodded, he did as well.

“Mother, you can’t just leave!” Tahōmaru protested. Looking at him, Hyakkimaru didn’t see the heir of a lord commanding someone; instead, he saw a boy pleading with his mother not to leave him. Nui no Kata approached him with a sad smile. She reached up and, when he moved closer, she cupped his cheek.

"I'm not leaving you, Tahōmaru. But I can't go back. Not after defying your father the way I did."

Tahōmaru gave a little involuntary whimper and, throwing proper behavior out the window, pulled her into a tight embrace, much to Hyogo and Mutsu's shock.

"Where will you go? Will you be safe?" His voice was muffled in her shoulder. She smiled indulgently and patted his back.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Mikuzume-sama will keep me from doing anything foolish."

"She'd better…" Tahōmaru grumbled. "This whole situation is her fault anyway."

Offended, Aunt Mae growled, but she didn't protest the accusation. Hyakkimaru thought that she looked pleased with herself. Jukai held out his arms to his sons, and Hyakkimaru and Dororo gladly gave him a farewell hug.

"I'm sure I'll see the two of you soon," he teased. "You're not likely to stay out of trouble for long."

Hyakkimaru made a protesting noise, but his dad was right. With their track record, they'd have another near-death experience before midday tomorrow. If they were lucky.

When Jukai pulled away, Nui no Kata approached and gazed at Hyakkimaru. He shifted a little, trying to hold eye contact without letting on how uncomfortable he felt. She seemed to understand because she didn't reach for him; she merely gave him a sad smile.

"Please take care of yourself." She wasn't crying anymore, but her eyes were bright in the dimly lit barn. Hyakkimaru nodded.

"I will." He didn't know what else to say.

Dororo punched him on his left arm. This move was much more effective now that the arm was made of flesh, making Hyakkimaru grunt and glare down at his brother.

"Aniki, you're being rude!" Dororo hissed.

"That's rich, coming from you." Hyakkimaru moved his arm out of reach, so Dororo punched him in the side.

"Hug your mama!" He commanded.

"I can't just hug her! She's a noblewoman!" Hyakkimaru hissed back at him, leaning down to glare harder.

"Yeah, and she's also your mama! She clearly wants one! Hug! Your! Mama!" Dororo punctuated each of the last three words with another punch to Hyakkimaru's hip. Shoving the little nuisance away, Hyakkimaru looked up at the lady in front of him in trepidation. Hopefully, she wasn't offended.

Nui no Kata had a look of cautious hope and longing in her eyes when he met them, and Hyakkimaru couldn't ignore the tugging he felt towards her. He held out his arms, tilting his head in invitation. Relief flooded her face as she stepped forward to wrap her arms around his torso. Hyakkimaru returned the hug tentatively at first but found his arms tightening when she sighed against his shoulder. He hadn't realized how petite she was.

"I missed you so much," she whispered. "I'm so glad you're alive."

Hyakkimaru didn't know how to respond, so he tightened his hold a little more. As far as hugs went, it was surprisingly comfortable, though unlike those he'd ever had from his other parents. She held him close, but there was a delicate nature to her grip which not even Ojiya's hugs possessed.

She was definitely crying again when she pulled away, but nobody mentioned it.

 

* * *

 

Hanzo and Sasuke dropped the three adults off at Jukai’s clinic, claiming that it wasn’t safe for Tamamo no Mae to use her magic after losing so much blood. They left with a promise to her that they’d keep an eye on their pack while she recovered. Several insinuations about having a beautiful woman nurse her back to health also left their mouths, but they wisely shut up and vanished when their great-grandmother tried to bite them.

Jukai bustled around the clinic, gathering bandages and materials to clean the wound and extract the arrow. Tamamo no Mae laid on the futon he kept out for his patients with Nui no Kata by her side. He tried to observe the woman — his son’s mother; wasn’t that a concept — without being obvious. The way she talked with the fox spoke of deep familiarity. Jukai wondered at her lack of fear around the demon and debated asking about how that had come to pass, but Tamamo no Mae might actually bite him if he did it while she could hear.

He knelt down in front of the fox and held out a teacup full of a strong poppy milk solution.

"I don't know if this will work for you, but I'd rather not cause you more pain than you must already be in when I cut into your shoulder to remove the arrow." He set the cup down in front of her nose. She sniffed at it dubiously.

"Well, I doubt it can kill me." Tamamo no Mae craned her neck and quickly lapped up the poppy milk, grimacing at the taste. Though she showed no signs of drowsiness, she sighed and laid her head back into Nui no Kata's lap, presenting her shoulder. Jukai began by cleaning as much blood from her fur as he could.

The arrow had hit her scapula, but Jukai found that he only needed to cut into the tissue a small amount to wiggle it free of the bone, arrowhead still firmly attached. Growls and whines escaped Tamamo no Mae's throat despite her clear efforts to suppress them. Nui no Kata ran her hands through the fox's long ruff and helped her not to struggle. When the arrow was finally out and the stitches and poultice in place under a clean bandage, Tamamo no Mae curled up under her tails and demanded that the humans let her rest. Jukai led Nui no Kata into the living area of the house and set about making tea.

The silence felt heavy when he sat across from her and handed her the teacup. Despite her windblown hair and the demon blood on her kimono, she managed to still look regal and composed and so, so out of place in his tiny countryside home.

“What will you do now?” he finally asked. She tilted her head at him, so he continued. “You said that you couldn’t go home. Where will you go?”

She fiddled nervously with her cup.

“I don’t have any idea, if I am to be honest. I’ve never done anything so rash before.” Her eyes were full of apprehension, but Jukai thought he detected a hint of triumph there as well. “For so many years, I dedicated myself to my role as a lord’s wife. I knew what my husband had done, but I thought there was nothing I could do. Today, though…”

She trailed off, and Jukai poured more tea for both while he waited for her to finish.

“Today I had to choose between being a wife and a mother, and I chose my sons.” She looked at Jukai as if begging him to tell her she’d made the right decision.

“Will you go with Mae-sama?” He asked instead of answering her silent question. “She’s far more dangerous than any samurai lord, even if she decides she likes you.”

“I suppose I must seem very foolish, abandoning my husband to run off with a kitsune from legend.” she gave him a self-deprecating smile. “But Mikuzume-sama — well, Tamamo no Mae — has always helped me, even if she hasn’t always been kind. I sometimes wonder what sort of mother I would have been to Tahōmaru if she hadn’t pulled me out of my grief for Hyakkimaru…”

Jukai huffed a small laugh, drawing a questioning look from the lady.

“When she told me years ago that she was watching your husband and bending the terms of their deal, I suspected that Mae-sama had other motivations than simply making one human miserable. I thought she was doing it as a sort of… retribution for what he did to Hyakkimaru, and I still think that’s part of it, but it seems she had other plans as well.” He laughed again when Nui no Kata blushed. “And, really, I don’t think I have the right to judge you on who you choose to keep company with, given who my co-parents are. There are a lot of them, and only two are human.”

She looked intrigued, but she was too polite to ask first, and he didn’t want to get sidetracked down that line of conversation. The nature of his relationship with Ojiya and Hibukuro was, as far as he was concerned, no one’s business but theirs. He cleared his throat.

“Listen, okata-sama—”

“Please, call me Onui,” she interrupted. She looked so earnest that Jukai could only nod.

“Of course, Onui. I’m sure you know what I mean when I say that I would do anything to keep Hyakkimaru and Dororo safe and happy. They are my sons, regardless of blood.” He fidgeted a little as he put his thoughts into words. “You must understand, Hyakkimaru spent years thinking that his birth family didn’t care for him. He may decide that he doesn’t want a relationship with you, and I have to ask you to respect whatever he decides.”

Onui looked as if she hadn’t even considered the possibility that her long-lost son might not want her around, but Jukai had seen the wary way Hyakkimaru had regarded her. She bit her lip and looked down into the dregs in her teacup.

“I understand,” she murmured. “Merely seeing him alive and healthy is more than I ever prayed for.”

Jukai nodded and served her the last of the tea.

“Would you like to hear about the time he got a crab stuck to his nose?” He smiled when Onui’s eyes lit up. “Or the time he got stuck in a snowbank?”

She nodded with unmasked enthusiasm, and Jukai spent the rest of the evening telling her stories about the trouble Hyakkimaru had always managed to get himself into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No new demons appear in this chapter. However, here is some other research I did:  
> \- [How to remove an arrow from flesh](https://ciaraballintyne.com/uncategorized/2015/02/properly-remove-arrow-crazy-things-learned-researching-books/) without causing (too much) more damage  
> \- Mutsu’s arrows have [togari-ya](http://www.ncjsc.org/gloss_yanone.htm) heads, which are unbarbed and were the most common Japanese arrowhead for warfare. 
> 
> Once again, I couldn't have done this without Fetuscakes's help.
> 
> Guys Keii drew me [some art](https://twitter.com/keiiilalei/status/1137560374285234177?s=19) of this AU's Hyakkimaru!


	15. Interlude: Brothers in Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the author's heartbreak and rage over episode 23 made her crawl out of her self-imposed hiatus, write twenty-four hundred words of fluff and family feels, and then crawl back in. Enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode 23 made me cry tears of anger during my lunch break. If this fic never updates again, please assume that Monday's series finale fucking killed me.

Tahōmaru woke before dawn properly arrived. The morning mist crept over the floor through the open doorway of the barn, softening the piles of hay and rough wooden boards. Sleep hadn't come easily for him; unable to stop thinking or get comfortable in his hay pile, he'd lain awake between Hyogo and Mutsu's protective warmth and watched the others. He'd also kept an ear out for any activity outside. Though he didn't think that the family sheltering them would report back to the enemy, cowed as they were by the demons' presence, his mind wouldn't allow him to let his guard down while everyone else slept. He had considered forcing the family to let him and his retainers trade sleeping arrangements and make them sleep in the barn — it seemed absurd for a lord’s heir and his vassals to sleep in a musty pile of hay — but he’d reminded himself that they were in Asakura territory and announcing his title would likely end poorly for all involved.

As the early gray light filtered into the barn, Tahōmaru studied the group sleeping across the barn from him and his retainers. Hyakkimaru and Dororo sprawled together in an inelegant tangle. On either side of them lay a ball of gold and white fur curled up in the hay, though Tahōmaru had no doubt that Sasuke and Hanzo were as alert for danger as he was. He sighed and sat up. Several pieces of hay fluttered down from his hair onto his jin-baori, which he had spread over the pile in an attempt at making it more comfortable. Mutsu shifted beside him and made a dissatisfied noise. Patting them gently on the shoulder, Tahōmaru stood and stepped quietly outside into the early morning.

It was already warm and muggy, though the cicadas had yet to begin droning. Birdsong filtered through the trees. A fine silver blanket of mist clung to the ground and swirled as he walked through the grass to sit at the base of a gnarled maple. There were few houses out here, this close to the edges of the town and forest. Tahōmaru let himself relax a little. If any Asakura soldiers came, he was sure that he and those in the barn — except perhaps Dororo — could fend them off.

It took less than five minutes for Mutsu to join him.

"Is Hyogo still asleep?" He asked, watching as they settled to his right among the tree's large roots. They nodded.

"Yesterday was stressful for all of us, Young Master. I thought it better to let him rest."

"He's lucky to have you for a sibling."

Mutsu eyed him, and he knew that they understood what he didn't want to say. They reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I don't mean to presume anything when I say this, but… my loyalty to you is more than just from the sense of duty and gratitude I owe your family. You and Hyogo…” They paused, bit their lower lip, and continued. “You are both very important to me. Just as I would do anything to protect my brother, I would do anything to protect you as well.”

Tahōmaru had experienced quite a lot of emotional turmoil over the past twenty-four hours, and what he felt at that moment was a combination of swelling affection and pure, unadulterated “fuck it”. He threw himself onto Mutsu and wrapped his arms around their torso, ignoring their surprised squeak.

“I'd do anything to keep both of you safe, as well. If anyone, human or demon, tried to hurt you, I'd kill them.” He pressed his face to Mutsu's shoulder. They remained stiff for another breath, but then they relaxed and snaked their arms around him to return the hug.

"I'm fairly certain we're the ones who are supposed to protect you, Young Master. What would people think if you went around rescuing your retainers?"

“I don't care!” Tahōmaru insisted, pulling back far enough to look them in the eye. “Listen to me. We may not share blood, or rank, or a name, but you two are more my family than that guy in there is.”

He jerked his head at the barn, and he could tell Mutsu understood he was referring to Hyakkimaru. The boy may be his blood brother, and he was grateful to have the chance to get to know him, but he didn't know him yet. Not like he knew Hyogo and Mutsu.

Mutsu looked a little poleaxed.

“Thank you, Young Master. I — I know how much you wanted —” they swallowed and looked away, unable to finish. Tahōmaru let go and returned to sit by their side, but they reached out their left arm and pulled him close. He leaned his head on their shoulder and closed his eyes, feeling safe.

When he opened his eyes again, it was much lighter out, though still early. The mist had burned away in the rising summer sun. There was a warm weight on either side of him. Tilting his head to the left, he met Hyogo's stoic gaze and smiled. Hyogo's lips quirked up in response.

“Did you sleep well, Young Master?” he asked, only the barest hint of teasing in his voice. Tahōmaru nodded. Straightening from where he’d slumped against Mutsu, he instead put his hands behind his head and leaned back against the tree. The silence between the three of them was comfortable and familiar. Mutsu hummed a folksong under their breath while Hyogo pulled up a few long strands of grass and idly wove them together. Tahōmaru hated to interrupt the peace.

“I can’t go back.” He stared straight ahead and ignored the incredulous looks he could see his retainers giving him from the corners of his eyes. “Not yet, anyway. Father will no doubt punish me for defying him and letting Mother do so as well.”

He drew his knees to his chest and rested his elbows on them, watching the grass sway in the slight breeze.

“I have no idea what he plans to do to me, but I have no interest in finding out, or in being his pawn.” He didn’t mention that he was legitimately terrified of how his father might retaliate for the humiliation he’d experienced yesterday. Having his son and wife defy him together and get away with it with their lives would do the man’s reputation no favors. Daigo Kagemitsu was willing to sacrifice an infant to demons and, years later, try to kill the same child for the crime of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Tahōmaru didn’t like his chances of getting out of his next meeting with the man unscathed. Hyogo placed a warm hand on his shoulder and leaned forward to give him a worried frown.

“Young Master, you have a duty to the people—” Hyogo started, but Tahōmaru cut him off with a baleful look.

“I know I do. That’s why I plan to go with Aniue and learn more about the people, how they live and what I can do to help them.” He sighed and thumped his head against the tree trunk. “I cannot trust my father to help me learn how to be the kind of leader the people really need, and now that Mother and Mikuzume-sama have left…”

He leaned forward and clenched his hands in the fabric of his hakama. His retainers each laid a hand over one of his, coaxing his fingers to uncurl and wrap around theirs instead. Mutsu made a disparaging noise.

“I knew that woman was manipulating you and your parents. To think, she was a demon this whole time…” Their hand clenched on Tahōmaru’s. He huffed out a laugh, despite the pain of betrayal still lingering.

“Yes, you were right and we all should have known to listen to you.” Tahōmaru gave their hand a teasing squeeze. “She was right as well, though. Imagine what would have happened yesterday if I hadn’t known.” He frowned. He didn’t want to dwell on it. Mutsu huffed a little, but they didn’t move their hand.

“You know I only ever wanted to protect you,” they said. “People will try to use you and your position for their own purposes. This incident merely justifies my earlier paranoia.”

“I know.” Tahōmaru frowned. “I’m tired of being manipulated. On the one side, I have my father, who can never admit that he’s done anything wrong and wants me to be just like him. On the other, there’s Mikuzume-sama, a literal damned _demon_ who’s been whispering in my ear since I was two years old! And now she’s run off with Mother!”

Tahōmaru’s words came out in a low, hurt rush, still mindful of those sleeping in the barn but needing to express his anger. He leaned into Hyogo’s side and rested his temple on the older boy’s shoulder. A few deep breaths later, he felt confident enough in his regained self-control to open his mouth without screaming.

“I need to know what the land is really like without someone handing me their interpretation of it. How can I ever protect and rule the people justly if I don’t know what their lives are like?”

Neither retainer argued. He’d been up most of the night, staring at the stars through the cracks in the barn roof and mulling the issue over in his head. If he stayed and gave in to his father’s influence, Tahōmaru would become hard and cruel, just like him. In another life, one where he knew even less and followed his father blindly, perhaps that would be an acceptable outcome. Here and now, however, that was one of his worst fears.

“That’s not the only reason, though, is it?” Mutsu asked after another thoughtful silence. He slanted a questioning glance at them, and they graced him with a small smile. “Your brother is alive, just like you always wanted. It would be a shame to waste this opportunity to get to know him.”

Tahōmaru scowled, feeling his face heat at how easily they could read him. When he’d first learned about his stolen brother, Hyogo and Mutsu had been the ones to comfort him as he’d cried over never getting to meet his older brother. He’d screamed at them that the demons had robbed him of all the experiences that people with older brothers got to have, that he would never get to have. The siblings had let him cry and reminded him that they would always be there for him. That had been when he’d first realized just how much he cared about both of them, beyond the bounds of servant and master. He felt a little like he was betraying them now for wanting to join Hyakkimaru’s travels, to be a part of his life.

They sat in silence. There was more Tahōmaru needed to say, but this part would be painful. Taking a deep breath, he squeezed his retainers’ hands once, dropped them, and stood. He turned and met their confused gazes with a determined one.

“I need you two to stay behind and make sure Father doesn't go after me or Aniue. You know he’ll try, no matter what Mikuzume-sama told him.”

Hyogo and Mutsu sprang to their feet.

“Young Master, you can’t expect us to remain behind! It’s our job to protect you from danger!” Hyogo fretted. “You’ll need us even more if you leave!”

“How can we possibly go back to your father without you?” Mutsu asked. Tahōmaru frowned and kicked at the grass below his sandals.

“Please, listen to me,” he pleaded. The siblings quieted, though their postures remained tense and unhappy. He took a deep breath. “I don’t want us to separate. But Father won’t believe that you two would betray him, especially if you tell him that I — I don’t know. I evaded your attempts to bring me back. He still thinks he owns you.”

He glanced up to see their reactions. They both frowned heavily, and Hyogo looked ready to grab Tahōmaru and keep him from running off, but they both nodded.

“I finally have a chance to get to know my brother. I can’t let Father ruin that, but you heard him. He’s convinced that Aniue is a threat, somehow.” He bit his lip. Hyogo and Mutsu exchanged a look. “Please, throw him off our trail, just for a little while. I’ll learn more about the people I will rule over, and then I’ll come back. I promise.”

His retainers frowned deeply at him. The silence stretched between them until Mutsu stepped forward and put their hand on his shoulder.

“Ever since we came to you, Young Master, I have been your right hand, and Hyogo, your left. If this is what you need us to do, we will do it.”

Hyogo closed the distance as well. His face was a complicated mix of a severe frown and a worried pout.

"If you go with your brother, that may give your father more of an excuse to pursue him." He sighed. "But we can send him in the wrong direction."

Hope slowly filled Tahōmaru's chest. This might actually work. He could travel with and learn about the brother he'd always wished he'd had the chance to know. Of course, that meant leaving Hyogo and Mutsu behind, which was a more difficult parting than he'd imagined. They were his siblings in all but blood, weren't they?

There was no use for manners and propriety out here, on the outskirts of an enemy town. In much the same way he'd hugged Mutsu earlier, Tahōmaru jumped at Hyogo and wrapped his arms around his retainer's solid torso. He buried his face in Hyogo's chest.

"Young Master, this is — you shouldn't —" Hyogo flailed a little. "What are you doing?"

"I believe, otōto, that it's called 'a hug'." Mutsu sounded like they wanted to laugh. "Though it could also be an attempt at wrestling."

"Shut up and hug me," Tahōmaru commanded. Hyogo hesitated before wrapping his sturdy arms around him. Tahōmaru felt very safe at that moment. Mutsu's warmth met his back and their slender arms snaked under their brother's. Shifting his hands, Hyogo adjusted the hug to accommodate his elder sibling.

Eventually, Tahōmaru shifted so his nose wasn't stabbing into Hyogo's sternum. He glanced over his shoulder, caught Mutsu's eye, and grinned.

"Of course, I also need you to stay behind because, if you don't, who will make sure Heikegani is fed and happy? He gets so bored without me and he might start eating villagers."

Mutsu groaned loudly and pulled away, burying their face in their hands. Hyogo tried to leave the hug as well, but Tahōmaru clung to him with a stubborn grip and laughed.

"Young master, please, I am _begging you_ to hire a crabsitter!" Mutsu groaned into their hands. Tahōmaru giggled into Hyogo's jacket and thought that, yeah, they'd be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, Fetus. You're irreplaceable.


End file.
